March 1993, President Bill Clinton (1993 – 2001) Israel Offers Peace

Dennis Ross – Presidential Advisor for Israel/ Palestinian Negotiations

Unlike Jimmy Carter, Clinton was motivated not by his fears of renewed conflict but by his hopes of what could be achieved … In his first meeting as President with Prime Minister Rabin in March 1993, when the Israeli Prime Minister told him he had a mandate to take risks for peace, Clinton replied, “If you’re going to do that, my role is to help you minimize those risks.” Many may say that Clinton was driven by his desire for a legacy, but I saw something different: I saw a man on a mission. It was far less about his legacy and far more about his fulfilling his side of the bargain: Rabin had done his part and paid for it with his life. Clinton owed a debt and had a responsibility as a result. He would act to fulfill the Rabin legacy ― and his actions, some well considered, some not ― from 1995 onward, whether at Wye River or at Geneva with Assad or at Camp David with Barak and Arafat or in the waning days of his admiration with the Clinton parameters, reflected someone who was prepared to put himself on the line in order to settle the conflict.

Source: Ross, Dennis. Doomed to Succeed. (p. 258)