[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 92 (Friday, July 15, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: July 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
              ANOTHER STEP TOWARD PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  Mr. PELL. Madam President, as many of my colleagues just learned, 
Jordan's King Hussein and Israel's Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin have 
accepted an invitation from President Clinton to meet at the White 
House on July 25, 1994.
  Although King Hussein is reported to have met occasionally in secret 
with Israeli leaders for more than 30 years, the upcoming event will be 
the first-ever public meeting. As such, it will send an unmistakable 
signal of Israel's increasing acceptance by its neighbors. The meeting, 
and the inevitable handshake between the Prime Minister and the King, 
will also bring an enormous amount of goodwill to the continuing peace 
negotiations between Jordan and Israel.
  As one of Israel's traditional friends and supporters, I am 
extraordinarily pleased by today's news. The meeting will help to 
remind Israeli citizens that Prime Minister Rabin's courageous efforts 
for peace are not without reward. It will also help to underscore that 
the peace agreement between Israel and the PLO was but a first step in 
what will be a much larger endeavor.
  I would like to reflect a moment on my appreciation for King 
Hussein's acceptance of President Clinton's invitation. I know that the 
United States has had its differences with Jordan, and many Members of 
Congress would have wished that the King had taken greater risks for 
peace during past years. But we should never lose sight of the fact 
that King Hussein has been a stalwart force for moderation in the 
Middle East peace process, and that his cautious, steady approach has 
brought an element of stability to an otherwise volatile region.
  I remember just a few weeks ago, when King Hussein and Queen Noor 
visited with members of the Foreign Relations Committee, the King 
assured me that he planned to hold a public meeting with Prime Minister 
Rabin soon. The King's decision to do so on July 25 reaffirms what I 
have know all along; that the King is a leader of courage and dignity 
who stands by his word.
  President Clinton's announcement represents another substantial 
acheivement--in fact a milestone--in the effort to establish a 
comprehensive Middle East peace settlement. I want to emphasize that 
President Clinton and his team, particularly Secretary of State Warren 
Christopher and Ambassador Dennis Ross, deserve great credit for this 
development. I am delighted to congratulate the President, as well as 
Prime Minister Rabin and King Hussein, and I extend my sincerest wishes 
for a successful meeting in Washington.

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