[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      THE ISRAEL-ARAB PEACE ACCORD

  Mr. SPECTER. Madam President, in the absence of any activity on the 
pending bill, I thought this would be a good time to acquaint my 
colleagues and perhaps those watching on C-SPAN II with a Senate caucus 
which was formed yesterday to monitor the Israel-Arab peace accord.
  Senator Shelby of Alabama and I are cochairing this Senate caucus. It 
consists of 15 U.S. Senators--8 Republicans and 7 Democrats. A similar 
monitoring group has been formed on the House side. The purpose is to 
monitor compliance with the Israel-Arab peace accords.
  There is no doubt about the substantial United States interest in 
peace in the Mideast. Nothing could be more emphatic proof of that than 
the war which the United States fought with Iraq to liberate Kuwait, 
with a very substantial interest which we have in that area of the 
world.
  The Camp David Accord which was brokered, in effect, by President 
Carter between Israel and Egypt has been a mainstay of peace in the 
Mideast. But that accord has not been extended to other Arab countries 
until we had the historic signing of the Israel-Arab peace accord back 
on September 13 of last year.
  Regrettably, there have been many occasions where the PLO, 
Palestinian Liberation Organization, has continued its terrorist 
policies.
  There is now an issue as to the advancing of very substantial funds 
from the United States and other funds from the World Bank. It is the 
view of our caucus--and I think it ought to be the policy of the United 
States Government--that those funds not be advanced unless the PLO 
lives up to the agreements under the Israel-PLO peace accord.
  It has been reported by the Zionist Organization of America that 
there have been some 23 violations since Jericho and Gaza were turned 
over by Israel to the PLO. There have been reports, again compiled by 
the Zionist Organization of America which has done an outstanding job 
of monitoring, of what is occurring there under the leadership of its 
president, Morton Klein, and its officer, Sandy Stein.
  Those reports candidly are hard to verify, and I do not vouch for the 
authenticity of all of them. But we do know from the mouth of Chairman 
Yasser Arafat on a recording that he has called for a jihad or a holy 
war against Israel after the signing of the peace accord and after the 
turning over of Gaza and Jericho to the PLO. We know that because 
Arafat made a speech in South Africa to a small group which he thought 
would be unreported but fortuitously a recording was made and in 
Arafat's own voice you hear him call for a jihad, which is a holy war, 
and that is hardly the statement of someone who is dedicated to the 
interest of peace and who ought to be following the terms of the 
Israel-Arab peace accord.
  Frankly, Madam President, September 13 of last year was a tough day 
for me personally to come to the White House and see Arafat honored on 
the White House lawn.
  But it seemed to me, as I think it seemed to most Americans, that if 
Prime Minister Rabin, Foreign Minister Peres, and Israel was prepared 
to deal with Arafat and the PLO, and that since Israel had been the 
principal victim of PLO terrorism, that the United States ought to go 
along with the arrangement.
  I think it was a major achievement for President Carter and for 
Secretary of State Warren Christopher to again broker that arrangement. 
It was really an historic moment when President Carter put his right 
arm around Prime Minister Rabin and his left arm around Arafat and to 
draw them together.
  Mr. FORD. President Clinton.
  Mr. SPECTER. President Clinton. Did I leave him out?
  Mr. FORD. You called him Carter.
  Mr. SPECTER. Well, I thank my colleague from Kentucky for the 
correction.
  Who knows, before long I may give Clinton credit for the Camp David 
accord.
  Mr. FORD. I would correct you on that, too.
  Mr. SPECTER. I will not make an inquiry, Madam President, as to who 
has the floor, but I may have a question or two to direct to Senator 
Ford.
  But, back to my frame of thought, it was a major achievement for 
President Clinton. It hopefully marked a new era of peaceful relations 
between Israel and the PLO. But, regrettably, that has not happened.
  This caucus has been formed really to be sure that the peace is 
maintained.
  I still recall the 1974 incident when our Ambassador and a Belgian 
charge d'affaires were murdered in Sudan at the hands of the PLO and 
Arafat being involved, and Mr. Klinghoffer being murdered, thrown off 
the side of the Achille Lauro, again by PLO terrorists and by Arafat.
  So that if these very substantial U.S. funds are to be advanced and 
if the United States is to participate in the advancement of funds by 
the World Bank, we ought to be sure that the PLO lives up to its 
agreement.
  Today we had a markup in the Foreign Operations Subcommittee of the 
foreign aid bill. We will be looking for a way to put teeth in U.S. law 
in terms of what we will do by way of expecting strict--Madam 
President, I would ask that the Senate be in order.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania has asked that 
the Senate be in order so he can continue to speak at this time.
  The Senator from Pennsylvania.
  Mr. SPECTER. I thank the Chair.
  As I was saying, Madam President, the effort is being made on the 
foreign aid bill to see to it that there is an enforcement mechanism 
that the PLO observes strictly and meticulously the terms of the 
Israeli-PLO agreement on the condition that, if that is not done, U.S. 
aid be terminated and the maximum amount of U.S. influence on the World 
Bank be exerted as well.
  It is our hope that the agreement will be maintained, that there will 
be peace and stability in the Mideast. But if the PLO maintains its 
policy of terrorism, then I think it is important that it be detected 
and that it be acted upon.
  That is the purpose of the Senate caucus which was formed yesterday.
  I thank the Chair and I yield the floor
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Pennsylvania yields the 
floor.
  Mr. THURMOND addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.

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