Summit of Peacemakers

On behalf of all Canadians, I bring a very simple message to the people of this region. Not the leaders or the governments. But the ordinary Israelis and Palestinians -- the ordinary people of this region. We know that your will is being tested. But we plead with you: Do not give up hope. Do not give in to fear and terrorism. Keep believing in peace.

We are here to show our solidarity with you. And to join with representatives from this region and around the world. To support peace. To denounce violence and terrorism. Peace must succeed. Peace will succeed. Violence and terrorism, carried out by the enemies of peace, will fail.

This summit comes in the wake of horrible, tragic events in Israel. We offer our deep condolences to the people of Israel. And our solidarity in the face of terrorism. And we renew our support for Prime Minister Peres and Ra'ees Arafat in their efforts to stop these criminal and cowardly acts.

Canada is doing its part to fight terrorism. And we are doing it in a way that is consistent with international standards of human rights and law -- something that is very important to us. We believe that international cooperation is the critical component of defeating terrorism. Sharing information and expertise will help us fight terrorism.

We must all agree to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure that no country anywhere in the world can get away with giving support or sanctuary to terrorists.

In December 1995, Canada hosted the first P-8 ministerial-level meeting on terrorism. That meeting issued the Ottawa Declaration which spells out what countries should be doing to fight terrorism globally. Canada is pursuing the objectives of the Ottawa Declaration in every international forum of which it is a member.

But fighting terrorism is not enough. The nations of the world must also commit to pursuing peace. The achievements to date of the Madrid process are remarkable. To ensure the momentum continues, the international community must show its ongoing support for the newly elected Palestinian council and the people of the West Bank and Gaza. Great challenges remain.

But we cannot fail. Because the benefits of peace are more than simply the absence of violence. They are real and concrete. They are an improved quality of life, and a greater prosperity for those in this region who are most in need.

Peace is precious. In this region in particular, home of so much the world holds dear, it has been absent for too long.

As we stand in the shadow of Mount Sinai with its history of law and promise, let us resolve, once and for all, to eliminate the evil of terrorism and achieve a complete, just and lasting peace.

Too much progress has been made, we are too far down the road to allow the voices of hate with their weapons of terror and fear, make us stop and turn back.

We are on the edge of a new millennium. Our actions today and in the days and months to come will help us decide whether the coming millennium is one of peace and promise or of violence and hatred. Our choice is clear. And so is our responsibility.