Text of Bush Middle East Speech

April 4 -- The text of President Bush's speech on the Middle East:

Good morning.

During the course of one week, the situation in the MiddleEast has deteriorated dramatically. Last Wednesday, my specialenvoy, Anthony Zinni, reported to me that we were on the vergeof a cease-fire agreement that would have spared Palestinianand Israeli lives. That hope fell away when a terroristattacked a group of innocent people at a Netanya hotel, killingmany men and women in what is a mounting toll of terror.

In the days since, the world has watched with growingconcern the horror of bombings and burials and the starkpicture of tanks in the street. Across the world, people aregrieving for Israelis and Palestinians who have lost theirlives.

When an 18-year-old Palestinian girl is induced to blowherself up, and in the process kills a 17-year-old Israeligirl, the future itself is dying, the future of the Palestinianpeople and the future of the Israeli people.

We mourn the dead, and we mourn the damage done to the hopeof peace, the hope of Israeli's and the Israelis' desire for aJewish state at peace with its neighbors, the hope of thePalestinian people to build their own independence state.Terror must be stopped. No nation can negotiate withterrorists, for there is no way to make peace with those whoseonly goal is death.

This could be a hopeful moment in the Middle East. Theproposal of Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, supported bythe Arab League, has put a number of countries in the Arabworld closer than ever to recognizing Israel's right to exist.

The United States is on record supporting the legitimateaspirations of the Palestinian people for a Palestinian state. Israel has recognized the goal of a Palestinian state.

The outlines of a just settlement are clear: two states,Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace andsecurity. This can be a time for hope, but it calls forleadership, not for terror.

Since September 11 I've delivered this message: Everyonemust choose. You're either with the civilized world or you'rewith the terrorists. All in the Middle East also must chooseand must move decisively in word and deed against terroristacts.

The chairman of the Palestinian Authority has notconsistently opposed or confronted terrorists.

At Oslo and elsewhere, Chairman Arafat renounced terror asan instrument of his cause, and he agreed to control it. He'snot done so.

The situation in which he finds himself today is largely ofhis own making. He's missed his opportunities and therebybetrayed the hopes of the people he's supposed to lead.