[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 30 (Thursday, March 17, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: March 17, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                      THE ISRAELI-PLO PEACE ACCORD

  Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I regret that I was not on the floor 
when the Brown-Moynihan sense-of-the-Senate resolution was offered on 
the question of whether or not the United Nations is going to be 
permitted to bring the question of Jerusalem into the discussion about 
the peace accord with the Israelis and the PLO.
  Mr. President, there are almost none here that do not salute and 
commend the effort that has been taken by our country, by the Israelis, 
and by the PLO, in the initial signing of the peace accord we witnessed 
on the lawn of the White House some months ago. It was a great day, and 
everybody had the feeling that though the road was rocky, eventually, 
we were going to see an end to the routine killing that has taken place 
there for so many years, a reduction in violence, and perhaps really 
establishing a framework for a long lasting, perhaps permanent, peace. 
And though the killings have not stopped, though the violence has not 
let up, there is a climate that is substantially better than had been 
seen in the area for some time--until the events of a couple of weeks 
ago, when a madman, a deranged individual, who lived in one of the 
settlements on the West Bank, took it upon himself to adjudicate what 
was fair and equitable, and assassinated, it is believed, 30 people, 
and wounded many others--people in a peaceful moment of prayer, of 
worship. He led this senseless slaughter.
  There is a review and investigation going on by the Israelis at the 
present time to see whether or not there was anyone involved. But there 
is no doubt that a fellow named Goldstein was the principal 
perpetrator, if not the sole perpetrator.
  Mr. President, that was not an act by the Israeli Government. If 
there was a dereliction, they are going to review and investigate to 
make sure that those who encouraged it or permitted it are held 
accountable for their lack of attention to duty. But it was an act 
simply of a madman, of a deranged person whose viciousness is 
incomprehensible at the most. And now the discussion has been elevated 
considerably, because there is talk of a U.N. resolution that would not 
only condemn the killing, but also would bring into the equation the 
status of Jerusalem. I submit to you that I hope our Government will 
not fall prey to bringing the question of Jerusalem into the debate, 
because that will only tend to sidetrack it. It will not permit a 
serious discussion of peace to take place.
  So I commend Senator Brown, Senator Moynihan, and those who joined in 
establishing the fact that Jerusalem is not part of this discussion and 
should not be. I hope that our country will, given the opportunity, 
veto that resolution before it in fact becomes a matter of record.
  I thank the Chair and yield the floor.

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