[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 153 (Thursday, September 28, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14564-S14565]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, earlier today I had the privilege of 
being present at the White House to witness the historic signing of the 
Interim Agreement on the West Bank and Gaza by Prime Minister of Israel 
Yitzhak Rabin and PLO Chairman Yasser Arafat. With the stroke of their 
pens, they have taken their people and all the peoples of the Middle 
East one step closer to lasting peace. Today is truly a day for 
celebration and prayers of thanks.
  All of the efforts of those who were the enemies of peace could not 
deter these two brave leaders from their goal of finding the common 
ground that made this agreement a reality. Nor were President Clinton, 
Secretary Christopher, or Ambassador Dennis Ross prepared to cease 
their efforts as honest brokers to bridge last minute disagreements 
that stood in the way of finalizing the deal. I for one would like to 
commend the President, the Secretary, and all those who worked nonstop 
during this negotiating process--without their dedication, today's 
event would not have been possible.
  Since the establishment of the State of Israel more than 47 years 
ago, the people of Israel have sought to live in peace with their 
neighbors in the Middle East. For too long Israeli efforts to reach out 
for peace and dialogue with its Arab counterparts were met with 
rejection and terrorism. Fortunately, that has now largely changed.
  It is particularly fitting that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak was 
among the leaders present at today's signing ceremony. After all, it 
was the Government of Egypt that was courageous enough to engage in the 
search for peace in that war-torn region. I remember the excitement, 
the hope, the inspiration that resulted from the signing of the 1978, 
Camp David Accords and the subsequent entry into force of the Israel-
Egypt peace treaty in 1979.

[[Page S 14565]]

  Regrettably, it would take more than a decade before additional 
efforts to find a formula that would hold out the possiblity of 
resolving the complex issues with Israel's other Arab neighbors would 
bear fruit. Certainly the break up of the Soviet Union and the gulf war 
were defining moments that totally reshaped the political landscape in 
the Middle East and improved the prospect for peace. The seeds of 
today's agreement were clearly sown during the 1991 Madrid Conference 
with the road map outlined for resolving both bilateral and 
multilateral issues within the context of the Madrid Framework.
  The key provisions of the interim agreement include elections of an 
82-member Palestinian Council that will oversee most aspects of 
Palestinian life in the West Bank and Gaza, the elimination of 
offensive clauses from the Palestinian covenant that call for the 
elimination of Israel, assignment of responsibility for religious 
sites, the temporary deployment of an international observer delegation 
to Hebron, the redeployment of most Israeli troops from Palestinian 
cities and towns, and the staged release of prisoners.
  This interim agreement is to remain in force through May 1999 and 
builds upon the September 1993 Declaration of Principles, in which 
Israel and the PLO exchanged mutual recognition, and the May 1994 Cairo 
agreement, which established a framework for Palestinian self-rule in 
the Gaza Strip and Jericho.
  We can all be justly proud of the enormous progress that has been 
made to undo the destruction and distrust that are the byproduct of 
decades of hatred and havoc. I for one am confident that the trust and 
good will that has been created by the peace process thus far will 
energize all parties to resolve all the remaining issues that stand in 
the way of a permanent agreement.
  I do not seek to minimize the difficulties of the issues that remain 
to be resolved. They include matters related to boundaries, to the 
nature of the Palestinian entity, to the future of Jewish settlements 
in Palestinian areas, to the disposition of refugees, and finally to 
the status of Jerusalem. However, it is clear to me that the people of 
the Middle East are committed to finding a comprehensive solution to 
all the disagreements that have stood in the way of a permanent and 
lasting peace. I believe that we in the United States stand ready to do 
all that we can to facilitate that effort.

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