Bill Clinton: Peace Maker of the Middle East

Bill Clinton at the gravesite of Yitzhak Rabin

2005-11-14T11:18:00.000-05:00

President Clinton, with Shimon Peres in the background, pays respect for the warrior of peace, Yitzhak Rabin. Bill Clinton and Shimon Peres are commemorating the 10th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assasination.

Bill, Hillary & Chelsie Clinton, Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin's two children in Tel Aviv

2005-11-12T08:31:00.000-05:00

Yitzhak Rabin Square, Tel Aviv, some 200,000 Israelis gather on a Saturday night in to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assasination. President Clinton still feels that there is work to do to bring a comprehensive peace to the Middle East.

Bill Clinton sings with 40 Arab & 40 Jewish Children

2003-09-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

On Shimon Peres' 80th birthday party in Tel Aviv, fourteen year old Liel sang "Imagine" with Bill Clinton and 80 children as the backround vocals. Mikhail Gorbachev, former South African president F.W. de Klerk and current Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon joined the festivities.

Video of Bill, Liel and the 80 children singing "Imagine"

Bill Clinton, after his presidency is over, is shown to be a staunch ally of Israel

2003-07-21T17:38:00.000-04:00

"The Israelis know that if the Iraqi or the Iranian army came across the Jordan River, I would personally grab a rifle, get in a ditch, and fight and die."
- Former US President Bill Clinton, July 31, 2002

Bill Clinton standing next to Shimon Peres on the night of Peres' 80th birthday party.

Israel, the Palestinians, the U.S. and Iraq are all involved in conflict. Former President Bill Clinton is still trying to build the foundation and trust for a long lasting Middle East peace.

Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat

2000-07-24T08:29:00.000-04:00

The July, 2000 Camp David summit concludes with a nice photo shoot.
After the close of the meeting, Barak said: "Israel was ready to reach agreement at a painful price but not at any price."

Chairman Arafat made no major statement before leaving the United States.

President Clinton and the boys taking a walk

2000-07-18T07:58:00.000-04:00

Camp David is a beautiful estate and the guys were just enjoying the fresh air before they got back to the boiler room to negotiate more.

Bill Clinton, Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat

2000-07-15T08:45:00.000-04:00

Apparently, a picture says a thousand words. Ehud Barak is shoving Chairman Arafat into the room with Bill Clinton's glowing approval. Regardless, peace did not ensue from this Camp David summit.
Beter luck next time.

Bill Clinton with Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat

2000-07-12T07:31:00.000-04:00

Camp David Peace Summit between July 11th-24th, 2000.
Expectations were high but uncertain. President Clinton was hoping for a miracle.

President Clinton meets Ehud Barak in Portugal

2000-06-01T17:44:00.000-04:00

Bill Clinton met with Israeli Prime Minister for two hours in Lisbon, Portugal. Even when touring through Europe, President Clinton was trying to make the peace a reality.

"It is within view," Clinton said of a possible final peace deal. "They could do it, and I believe that they will."

Bill Clinton and President Assad of Syria

2000-03-27T16:13:00.000-05:00

GENEVA - President Bill Clinton and Syrian President Hafez Assad failed during three hours of face-to-face negotiations to nail down an agreement to restart negotiations between Israel and Syria for a landmark peace treaty.

This handshake between Bill Clinton and Syian President Hafez Assad may be the high-water mark of U.S. - Syria relations over the last 40 years.

Chairman Arafat & Bill Clinton

1999-09-23T08:27:00.000-04:00

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shakes hands with President Clinton during a session before photographers prior to their closed-door meeting at the White House.

Bill Clinton at King Hussein's Funeral

1999-02-08T08:44:00.000-05:00

King Hussein of Jordan, the Peacemaker, died and President Clinton lead a contingent of three former US presidents to pay the final respects at his funeral. Seated next to President Clinton is President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, President Ali Abdullah Saleh of Yemen and Chairman Yasser Arafat.

The Wye River Accords - Bill gets another Agreement

1998-10-23T20:53:00.000-04:00

President Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Chairman Arafat met in Wye River, Maryland for one week and finally hammered out an aggreement that was witnessed by King Hussein on September 23, 1999.

"This agreement is good for Israel's security. The commitments made by the Palestinians were very strong, as strong as any we have ever seen," President Clinton said at a White House signing ceremony.
"This agreement is good for the political and economic well-being of Palestinians. It significantly expands areas under Palestinian authority to some 40 percent of the West Bank. It also offers the Palestinian people new economic opportunities," Presdident Clinton concludes.

President Clinton is leading the negotiations

1998-10-22T21:34:00.000-04:00

President Clinton leads trilateral discussion at Wye River Conference Center. The subject of Middle East peace is dear to Bill Clinton and every effort was made to make a comprehensive agreement.

Bill, Benjamin and Yasser start a week of talks

1998-10-15T21:19:00.000-04:00

Photo of President Clinton announcing the start of the Mideast peace talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, right, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, center, and Secretary of State Albright and Vice President Gore in the background. The talks were at Wye River, Maryland.

President Clinton, Chairman Arafat, King Hussein & Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

1996-10-02T19:53:00.000-04:00

After a flair up in violence in the Middle East, President Clinton called the players to the White House for an emergency two day session. King Hussein of Jordan is shaking hands with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Chairman Arafat will be next in line to do the handshaking.

Giants in the Quest for Peace.

1996-04-30T08:14:00.000-04:00

Bill Clinton and Shimon Peres.
"I feel myself very lucky to see a person like [Clinton] standing ahead and trying to lead the whole world to peace ... for everybody."

-- Shimon Peres
April 26, 1996 Washington, D.C.

Summit of the Peacemakers in Sharm el-Sheikh

1996-03-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

At the Summit of the Peacemakers. Left to right: Turkish President Suleiman Demirel, King Hussein of Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres, US President Bill Clinton, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, Russian President Boris Yeltsin and PNA President Yasser Arafat, Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, March 13, 1996.

Bill Clinton gives famous speech at Yitzhak Rabin's funeral

1995-11-06T20:45:00.000-05:00

The featured eulogy at the funeral after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin was none other than Bill Clinton. President Clinton's speech recalled that he and Yitzhak Rabin were together just two weeks previous. As well, the "Peacemakers" met at the White House four weeks beforehand. President Clinton was deeply involved in the lives of the Middle East leaders and felt a strong desire to finish the job.

President Clinton invites the boys to Washington

1995-09-28T19:04:00.000-04:00

Bill Clinton stands with King Hussein of Jordan, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on September 28th, 1995. Clinton worked tirelessly with Mideast leaders in hopes of establishing a lasting peace accord. Yitzhak Rabin was assasinated less than 40 days later.

The Guys Want to Look Good for the Camera

1995-09-28T17:24:00.000-04:00

Chairman Arafat is making sure that the leaders of Egypt, Jordan, Israel and the U.S. are well dressed for there upcoming photo shoot. This picture was taken in the White House on September 28th, 1995.

Bill Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin & King Hussein

1994-10-26T09:06:00.000-04:00

On October, 26, 1994 Jordan and Israel signed an historic peace treaty in a ceremony held in the Arava valley of Israel, north of Eilat and near the Jordanian border. Prime Minister Rabin and King Hussein of Jordan shook hands with Bill Clinton applauding.

An excerpt from the President's remarks at the ceremony:
"...At the dawn of this peace of a generation, in this ancient place we celebrate the history and the faith of Jordanians and Israelis. But we break the chains of the past that for too long have kept you shackled in the shadows of strife and suffering. We thank those who have worked for peace before. We celebrate the efforts of brave leaders who saw the bright horizon of this dawn, even while the darkness lingered."

The historic signing ceremony: Israel & Jordan

1994-10-26T08:51:00.000-04:00

American Leadership In the World -Reinvigorating the Mideast Peace Process

"From the outset, America's commitment to comprehensive peace in the Middle East has been backed by a strong pledge that whenever Arabs and Israelis turn the page on the past, the United States would work with them to write a real, practical future of hope. Those who take risks for peace must not stand alone."
-- President Clinton October 26, 1994

President Bill Clinton, Arafat and Mubarak

1994-10-25T15:59:00.000-04:00

President Clinton embarked on an historic journey to Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia

Starting his trip in Cairo, Egypt, President Clinton met with Egyptian President Mubarak and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. Their discussion focused on implementing the Declaration of Principles between the PLO and Israel.

Bill Clinton and the historic handshake

1993-09-13T09:03:00.000-04:00

Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat shake hands before a chearing crowd on the White House lawn.

"The peace of the brave is within our reach"
President Clinton

Mr Rabin then addressed the crowd: "We who have fought against you the Palestinians, we say to you today in a loud and clear voice, enough of blood and tears, enough."

Mr Arafat said: "The difficult decision we reached together was one that required great courage."

Bill Clinton, Yitzhak Rabin and Yasser Arafat

1993-09-13T04:53:00.000-04:00

President Clinton and his two friends having a stroll accross the White House lawn.