[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 149 (Thursday, December 1, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: December 1, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                   MOMENT OF TRUTH IN THE MIDDLE EAST

  Mr. PELL. Mr. President, we have entered a crucial moment in Middle 
East diplomacy. In the past several weeks, Islamic extremists from the 
Hamas and Islamic Jihad organizations have carried out a number of 
bloody and violent acts that threaten to unravel the peace agreement 
between Israel and the PLO. The extremists have succeeded in polarizing 
the Palestinian population to the point where Yasir Arafat's power and 
influence are in serious doubt. Several extraordinary public 
demonstrations against Arafat, coming on top of the Palestinian 
Authority's woeful lack of progress in establishing an economic system, 
have undermined both Palestinian and Israeli confidence in Arafat's 
ability to maintain order in Gaza and Jericho.
  At the same time--and on a more positive note--Israel and Jordan have 
made great strides in implementing their landmark peace treaty. The two 
countries recently announced the establishment of formal diplomatic 
relations and are expected to exchange Ambassadors before the end of 
the year. In addition, Israeli and Jordanian citizens have begun cross-
border tourist exchanges, and early accounts lend a fair amount of hope 
to those who look for a warm, cooperative Israeli-Jordanian 
relationship.
  These striking fluctuations in the Middle East peace process 
underscore the delicacy and uncertainty of the current situation. The 
noble thoughts and sentiments that were expressed in the Israel-PLO 
Declaration of Principles, were, after all, only paper and ink. The 
true test of peace comes now, and success will require hard work, 
steady concentration, and immense patience on all sides. Even though it 
seems clear that the parties in the region want to move forward, they 
are entering a period when they must follow through on promises made, 
and when they must make some very tough choices so additional 
agreements can be reached.
  A number of difficult issues need to be resolved in the coming year 
if a comprehensive peace is to remain a possibility. These include 
establishing mechanisms to prevent the spread of Palestinian violence 
and terror against Israel, to shore up the Palestinian economy, and to 
promote an acceptable compromise between Israel and Syria on the Golan 
Heights. All of these issues will require a tremendous amount of effort 
from the United States. As my colleagues well know, the Middle East 
peace process has been a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy for 
decades, spanning Republican and Democratic administrations alike. Our 
interests here have been well defined and seldom constrained by 
partisanship. I, for my part, expect to work very closely with the 
administration and with the incoming Republican leadership during the 
next session to continue to promote this fundamental U.S. interest.

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