[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 21 (Wednesday, March 2, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 2, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   TO CONDEMN THE MASSACRE IN HEBRON

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I send a resolution to the desk for myself, 
Senator Boxer, Senator Pell, and Senator Metzenbaum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 184) to condemn the massacre in 
     Hebron, and urge all parties in the Middle East peace process 
     to renew energy to achieve a just peace.

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection to the immediate 
consideration of the resolution?
  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, this resolution has now been cleared by all 
Senators. In my remarks, I will state basically what the resolution 
states because I think the words here are important to reflect the 
sentiment, hopefully, of all Senators.
  Immediately after Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman Arafat shook 
hands on the White House lawn last September, extremists on both sides 
vowed that the declaration of principles that were signed that day 
would never come to fruition. That is what we say in our first 
``whereas'' clause.
  We then point out that since the signing of the declaration of 
principles in September 1993, many innocent people have been the 
victims of vicious acts of terrorism, and that the massacre that took 
place on February 25, 1994, at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron was 
an act of murderous terrorism directed at innocent persons at prayer.
  We further point out that the purpose of these acts of terrorism, 
both at Hebron and all of the other acts of terrorism which have taken 
place, was to derail the Middle East peace talks.
  Then we point out that as diplomats have inched their way toward 
fulfilling each article of the declaration, extremists have just as 
painstakingly plotted disruption, preyed on innocents and haphazardly 
killed and mauled innocent people.
  Then we say that if the chances for peace in the Middle East are 
harmed by the act of terror in Hebron or other acts of terrorism, then 
these acts of terrorism will have achieved their purpose; and that to 
prevent terrorism from achieving its purpose, all parties must now 
redouble their efforts to gain success in those peace talks.
  The Senate resolution says the following:
  We, the Senate, express our condemnation of the massacre perpetrated 
in Hebron as violative of all standards of civilized human behavior, 
and violative of the policies of the Government of Israel and every 
other government that has spoken out against this atrocity.
  And we further resolve that the Senate condemns all acts of terror 
intended to disrupt the peace process or for any other purpose.
  We further resolve that the Senate commends the Government of Israel 
for its strong condemnation of the Hebron killings, for reaching out to 
the victims' families, and for taking swift and appropriate action to 
respond to the threat posed by extremists.
  We finally resolve that the Senate urges all parties and others 
involved in the Middle East peace talks to apply renewed energy to 
achieve the prompt and just conclusion which is the only way--the only 
way--to obtain long-term security for all people in the area and as the 
best way in the short term to deny terror any measure of success.
  Mr. President, the terrorist act at Hebron, as are all terrorist 
acts, was an abomination. Such acts violate our very sense of what life 
should be, and those acts are an affront to life and to hope itself. 
The President of Israel, Ezer Weizman, insisted that the shooting at 
Hebron was anti-Jewish and anti-Israel, and it was. It was also anti-
hope, antipeace, anticivilization. It was simply inhuman, and it must 
not succeed, and other acts of terror must not succeed. In order to 
deny any success to that act of terror, or to any other acts of terror, 
now all parties to the Middle East peace talks must apply renewed 
energy to achieve the prompt and just conclusion, which is, again, the 
only way we are going to obtain long-term security for people of the 
region.
  Denying terrorism any measure of success is the only way we are going 
to stamp out terrorism. Terrorism must not and cannot achieve its goal, 
and to frustrate those acts in the Middle East, the peace talks now 
must succeed.
  So we in this resolution on behalf of the Senate call upon the 
parties to redouble their efforts to reach a just conclusion to those 
peace talks. That is the answer to the terrorists who would derail 
those talks. It is the best answer, the most dramatic answer and, 
obviously, it is also the best answer for all the peoples of the Middle 
East.
  In closing, Mr. President, I want to thank Senators on both sides of 
the aisle, who have been involved in the drafting of this resolution. I 
particularly want to thank Senator Boxer, who really thought of the 
appropriateness of this resolution, that the Senate speak out on this 
subject. It has been a real pleasure working with her on this matter.
  I yield the floor.
  Mrs. BOXER addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from California is recognized..
  Mrs. BOXER. It truly is an honor to have a chance to work with my 
friend from Michigan, Senator Levin. When we learned of the massacre in 
Hebron, we talked and shared our grief and our feelings and our concern 
that this act could in fact derail the peace process, as would all acts 
of terrorism. We decided it would be a good idea for the Senate to go 
on record to express its outrage at this particular act of terrorism 
and to point out that terrorism from every quarter must be condemned 
and must be stopped.
  We knew when we saw that wonderful moment in history at the White 
House, when we saw Yasser Arafat and Rabin shake hands, we knew that 
the Middle East peace process would be fought with hope, as well as 
fear, and that it would be a dangerous time. But we also knew that, in 
the end, people in the world want peace; people in the world want their 
leaders to sit in those rooms and work it out.
  Yes, there are minorities on all sides, minorities in the Arab 
community, the Palestinian community and, unfortunately, as we saw in 
Israel, who would want to derail this process. I think it is important 
for us to stand up for this peace process and to go on record today 
very clearly in support of this peace process, and in a fair and just 
peace for Israel and the Palestinians and the Arab nations. No one 
wants it more than they do--a fair and just peace. We urge them to not 
let these acts, these individual acts of terrorism deter them from 
their goal.
  The peace talks are too important, not only to Arabs and Jews and 
Palestinians, but to every one of us. We all hold our breath, and we 
really pray that the tragedy in Hebron will galvanize us on all sides 
to stand up for peace, to pray for peace, and with the passage of this 
resolution, of which I am so proud to be a cosponsor, to say to the 
world that the U.S. Senate stands against terrorism from every quarter 
and for peace for all people of the Middle East.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate on the resolution?
  The question is on agreeing to the resolution.
  The resolution (S. Res. 184) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, is as follows:

                              S. Res. 184

       Whereas immediately after Prime Minister Rabin and Chairman 
     Arafat shook hands on the White House lawn last September, 
     extremists on both sides vowed that the Declaration of 
     Principles signed that day would never come to fruition, and
       Whereas since the signing of the Declaration of Principles 
     on September 13, 1993, many innocent people have been the 
     victims of vicious acts of terrorism, and
       Whereas the massacre that took place on February 25, 1994 
     at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron was an act of 
     murderous terrorism directed against innocent persons at 
     prayer, and
       Whereas the purpose of these acts of terror was to derail 
     the Middle East peace talks, and
       Whereas as diplomats have inched their way towards 
     fulfilling each article of the Declaration, extremists have 
     just as painstakingly plotted disruptions, preyed on 
     innocents and haphazardly killed and maimed people, and
       Whereas if the chances for peace in the Middle East are 
     harmed by the act of terror in Hebron or other acts of 
     terrorism, then these acts will have achieved their purpose, 
     and
       Whereas to prevent terrorism from achieving its purpose, 
     all parties must now redouble their efforts to gain success 
     in those talks: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate expresses its condemnation of the 
     massacre perpetrated in Hebron as violative of all standards 
     of civilized human behavior, and as violative of the policies 
     of the government of Israel and every other government that 
     has spoken on this atrocity, and
       Be it further resolved, That the Senate condemns all acts 
     of terror intended to disrupt the peace process or for any 
     other purpose, and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate commends the government of Israel 
     for its strong condemnation of the Hebron killings, for 
     reaching out to the victims' families, and for taking swift 
     and appropriate action to respond to the threat posed by 
     extremists, and be it further
       Resolved, That the Senate urges all parties and others 
     involved in the Middle East peace talks to apply renewed 
     energy to achieve the prompt and just conclusion which is the 
     only way to obtain long term security for all people in the 
     area and as the best way in the short term to deny terror any 
     measure of success.

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I move to reconsider the vote.
  Mrs. BOXER. I move to lay that motion on the table.
  The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, again I thank and commend Senator Boxer for 
here leadership here. It is her expression of feelings and emotions as 
to the events at Hebron that really led to this resolution.
  I think the Senate and Nation is in her debt for getting the Senate 
to express our feelings about the fact that terrorism must not succeed 
and that peace must succeed.
  Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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