[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 115 (Tuesday, August 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 16, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                           BUILDING FOR PEACE

 Mr. MACK. Mr. President, the Middle East peace process has 
progressed at a truly unbelievable pace over the course of the past 
year. We were all moved when Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and 
PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat came to the White House last September 13 to 
sign the historic Declaration of Principles.
  Since then, agreements have been signed between Israel and the PLO on 
April 29 to coordinate their economic relationships and on May 4 to 
facilitate Israeli withdrawal from Jericho and Gaza. The agreements 
with the PLO set the stage for King Hussein to come to Washington to 
sign an agreement ending Jordan's state of belligerency with Israel.
  Talks are underway to determine if Israel will be able to reach an 
agreement with Syria. Hopefully, these talks will eventually lead to 
another historic signing in Washington.
  Mr. President, these diplomatic accomplishments are great and will, 
hopefully, set the stage for real peace in the region. But diplomatic 
agreements can only provide the outlines of peace. The real test will 
come in the daily lives of the people who live there. Israeli citizens 
and Palestinians and Jordanians must see that the peace will benefit 
their daily lives for this process to have any hope of ultimate 
success.
  To a large degree, this will be measured in improvements in the well-
being of the lives of these people. The first step in this will be to 
improve the economic conditions and create stability and prosperity in 
the territories.
  Two steps have been undertaken to accomplish these goals.
  First, those nations with a stake in this peace process, led by the 
United States, have pledged funds to the Palestinian Authority to help 
them build infrastructure projects--roads, telecommunications, housing, 
waste removal systems and water projects.
  Second, efforts are underway to assist the Palestinians to build 
their private sector. We must focus upon the private sector so that the 
Palestinians do not come to rely in the long-term upon international 
contributions. They must be able to develop their own business ventures 
capable of providing meaningful employment for their people.
  Only when the underlying socioeconomic discontent is addressed at the 
grassroots level, can the peace process flourish. Without the basic 
dignity that jobs provide, people could easily continue to fall prey to 
the wishes of extremists.
  A new organization called Builders for Peace was established last 
November in order to promote these economic objectives. This nonprofit 
organization was set up to foster relationships between the United 
States and Palestinian commercial communities.
  Builders for Peace is an important contribution to help develop the 
economy of the region and assist in the overall peace process.
  Builders for Peace is a unique organization. It has two copresidents, 
former Congressman Mel Levine and Dr. James Zogby, the president of the 
Arab-American Institute. These two former adversaries are now working 
together to promote American investments in the Palestinian 
territories.
  The organization has boards of directors and advisers comprised of 
leaders of the American-Arab and Jewish communities. Again, many of 
these people have been adversaries for years and now they are also 
working together.
  Builders for Peace has helped to stimulate a number of projects that 
will soon be underway. These projects will serve as tangible evidence 
of the support for the peace process by the American private sector.
  Mr. President, Builders for Peace is an organization that deserves 
our support, just as it has the support of this administration, the 
Israel Government, and the PLO leadership.
  Its potential to assist the peace process is enormous and I hope that 
the Congress will lend its support to these endeavors.

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