[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 40 (Thursday, April 14, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 14, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                       ACTIONS OF HAMAS IN ISRAEL

 Mr. LAUTENBERG. Mr. President, I rise to express my outrage 
over the recent violent actions of the extremist fundamentalist group 
HAMAS in Israel.
  Over the past 2 weeks, HAMAS supporters unleashed the worst terrorist 
violence Israel has experienced in 5 years.
  Yesterday, a suicide bomber killed 5 Israelis and wounded another 30 
people by blowing up a commuter bus in Hadera.
  Last week, another suicide bomber pulled up to a bus stop in Afula, 
Israel, and detonated his car bomb, killing himself and 7 innocent 
people and wounding 44 others.
  The following day, a Palestinian opened fire on a group of passengers 
waiting at a bus stop in Ashdod, killing one and injuring four. As the 
victims were being carried from Ashdod site, sirens wailed to 
commemorate the 6 million Jewish victims of the Nazi Holocaust.
  HAMAS is responsible for unleashing these acts of wanton violence. 
HAMAS has stated that the Afula bombing was but the first of five 
attacks they are planning to avenge the Hebron massacre of last 
February. They had specifically threatened a terrorist action for 
Thursday's Independence Day celebration in Israel.
  There is nothing ambiguous about HAMAS' goals: HAMAS supporters seek 
to derail the peace process. This sort of violent behavior by HAMAS is 
not out of character.
  This group of militant fundamentalists has done its best to wreak 
havoc on the peace process since the Madrid Conference in the fall of 
1991.
  When Israel and the PLO signed the Declaration of Principles on the 
White House lawn last September, enemies of peace such as HAMAS became 
alarmed that the chronic state of war between Israelis and Arabs might 
actually be coming to an end, and they have redoubled their efforts to 
stop the process in its tracks.
  Mr. President, HAMAS' terrorism must not be allowed to succeed. All 
along, we have known that the road to peace would not be easy or 
without violence. We have known that success would depend on leaders 
with vision and with the steadfastness required to see that vision 
realized.
  The battle lines now are drawn between those who are for peace and 
those who want to continue the misery and bloodshed that has 
characterized the Arab-Israeli struggles for decades.
  When a radical extremist killed 29 Palestinians in Hebron in 
February, Prime Minister Rabin acted forcefully. He condemned the act 
in the strongest terms and cracked down on extremist organizations.
  Arafat has expressed regret about the latest senseless attack against 
innocent civilians and recognized that it ``strikes at the heart of the 
peace process.'' Unfortunately, he stopped short of an absolute 
condemnation of the act.
  And when innocent Israelis--and indeed Arabs--were brutally murdered 
and maimed in HAMAS' terrorist actions last week, PLO leader Arafat 
refused to condemn the act. When asked to do so, he turned and walked 
away. This is unacceptable. Arafat must condemn every senseless act of 
terrorism against innocent civilians.
  We should not allow HAMAS to triumph by pushing Arafat away from the 
peace process. No one but HAMAS wins if any party abandons the peace 
process.
  Mr. President, terrorist incidents such as occurred in Afula and 
Ashdod last week are putting a severe strain on the Israeli people's 
faith in the peace process.
  Mr. Arafat's failure to distinguish himself and his organization from 
murderous groups like HAMAS and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad will only 
increase Israelis' distrust and undermine the Israeli Government's 
ability to continue to negotiate with the PLO.
  Time is not on the side of the peacemakers in the Middle East. The 
longer people are prevented from realizing the benefits of the peace 
process, the longer murderous groups like HAMAS will have the ability 
to continue their bloody ways.

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