[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 28 (Monday, February 13, 1995)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E331]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      A JOURNEY FOR PERMANENT PEACE

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                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, February 13, 1995
  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to 
share with my colleagues an article penned by Camelia Anwar Sadat, the 
daughter of slain Egyptian President Anwar Sadat. The subject of her 
writing concerns a program called Givat Haviva, which Ms. Sadat 
recently became acquainted with in her first trip to Israel.
  The Givat Haviva Institute is an educational foundation program whose 
purpose is bringing Arab and Jewish children together to learn how to 
live in a united future. Education of the youth is crucial to the 
future of peace in that troubled region.
  Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, I want to commend this article, initially 
printed in the Boston Globe, to my colleagues, and ask that it be 
inserted at this point into the Congressional Record.
                 [From the Boston Globe, Dec. 30, 1994]

                        The Key to Mideast Peace

                        (By Camelia Anwar Sadat)

       Middle East peace has been a dream that my father worked 
     for and paid for with his life, and ever since, I have 
     dedicated my life to this cause.
       It wasn't until recently, however, that I made my first 
     trip to Israel; the time was finally right for me to follow 
     in my father's historic footsteps. Had I gone earlier I would 
     have created a conflict. Those who did not accept my father 
     or Camp David would not have accepted me. But now treaties 
     are being signed, and the dreams of our forefathers are close 
     to being fulfilled.
       However, recent events demonstrate an overriding 
     ambivalence to the benefits of peace--the Israeli Cabinet is 
     debating whether it will withdraw troops from the West Bank 
     as promised; a recent Jerusalem report noted that Jordanians 
     are reticent about welcoming Israelis into their communities.
       In order for peace to succeed in the Middle East, there 
     must be a foundation for understanding and acceptance. This 
     can be realized only through education--the vehicle for 
     lasting peace in the region. As the leaders of the peace 
     process have made clear time after time, the people who are 
     living by the treaties must change the way they live and 
     think.
       Today's children--the keepers of future peace--must be 
     taught how to nurture the peace their predecessors began. It 
     is up to today's leaders to ensure that those who will lead 
     in the future receive the tools necessary to strengthen the 
     fraternity between Arabs and Jews. They must learn how to 
     coexist in a solid, integrated society.
       War and violence are still fresh in the minds of those of 
     us who have experienced its brutality. Indeed, violence has 
     been a daily occurrence for generations. Now the generations 
     must learn how to tolerate coexistence and different ways to 
     settle disputes.
       Although no peace treaty has addressed the fundamental 
     issue of education, successful programs are bringing Arab and 
     Jewish children together to learn how to live in a united 
     future.
       One of the most successful programs is the Givat Haviva. 
     Since the Givat Haviva Institute was established in 1949, 
     Jews and Arabs have had the opportunity to participate in 
     programs that advance and protect democratic values and 
     peace.
       At Givat Haviva. I watched Arab and Jewish children teach 
     each other and learn how to coexist. I saw young people, 
     their parents and teachers being given survival tolls to move 
     forward toward new and beneficial vistas.
       I observed the next generation of Arabs and Jews preparing 
     to come to age during a new time of peace and understanding. 
     It was thrilling to take part in the peace process started 14 
     years ago by Menachem Begin, Jimmy Carter and my father. I 
     observed harmony between Arab and Jew.
       Now, with the dramatic, meaningful and lasting changes that 
     are occurring in the Middle East, I want to help ensure that 
     the message of yesterday's leaders is not forgotten during 
     this great era of opportunity.
       When my father went to Israel in 1977, a wall came down for 
     me, a wall that prevented me from seeing many things--most 
     importantly, a wall that blocked me from seeing Jews and 
     Israelis as anything but enemies. Today's leaders must 
     realize that this wall still blocks the vision of many Arabs 
     and Jews. It is only through education that a lasting peace 
     will flourish.
       My life has been surrounded by war. My sisters were married 
     to army officers. My uncles served in the army. My cousins 
     marched off to war. My life was not so different from the 
     Israelis. They, too, have been surrounded by war. They, too, 
     watched loved ones march off and die for peace. Many who died 
     in the violence of the Middle East shared a vision--a vision 
     of a peaceful future for us, their children.
       My father gave his life for peace. Only through such 
     programs as Givat Haviva, which is educating our children on 
     how to live in peace, can the memories of all who died for 
     this cause be best remembered.
     

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