[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 26 (Thursday, February 29, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1462-S1463]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       SENATE RESOLUTION 228--CONDEMNING TERROR ATTACKS IN ISRAEL

  Mr. HELMS (for himself, Mr. Pell, Mr. Dole, Mr. Daschle, Mr. 
Lieberman, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. Dodd, Mr. Mack, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. 
Biden, Mrs. Kassebaum, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Grams, Mr. Lugar, 
Mr. D'Amato, Ms. Snowe, Mr. Ashcroft, Mr. Feingold, Mr. Moynihan, Mr. 
Bradley, Mr. Levin, Mr. Specter, Mr. Santorum, and Mr. Wellstone) 
submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:

                              S. Res. 228

       Whereas on February 25, 1996, two vicious terror attacks in 
     Jerusalem and Ashkelon killed two American citizens and 23 
     Israelis, and wounded dozens more;
       Whereas the Gaza-headquartered terrorist organization 
     ``Hamas'' claimed credit for the attack;
       Whereas in 1995, 47 innocent Israeli and American citizens 
     were killed in Palestinian terror attacks;
       Whereas since the signing of the Declaration of Principles 
     between Israel and the PLO on September 13, 1993, 168 people 
     have been killed in terrorist acts, 163 Israelis and five 
     American citizens;
       Whereas the Gaza-based ``Hamas'' terror group and Damascus-
     based Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Popular Front for the 
     Liberation of Palestine terror groups have claimed 
     responsibility for the majority of those terror attacks;
       Whereas the PLO, the Palestinian Authority and Yasser 
     Arafat have undertaken on repeated occasions to crack down on 
     terror and bring to justice those in areas under their 
     jurisdiction who commit acts of terror;
       Whereas notwithstanding such undertakings and some 
     improvements in Palestinian efforts against terrorism, the 
     vast majority of terror suspects have not been apprehended, 
     or if apprehended, not tried or punished, and no terror 
     suspects requested for transfer have been transferred to 
     Israeli authorities by Palestinian authorities in direct 
     contravention of agreements signed between the PLO and 
     Israel;
       Whereas the governments of Iran, Syria and Lebanon continue 
     to provide safe haven, financial support and arms to terror 
     groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or Hezbollah among 
     others, and have in no way acted to restrain such groups from 
     committing acts of terrorism;
       Whereas failure to act against terrorists by the 
     Palestinian Authority, Syria and others can only undermine 
     the credibility of the peace process: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) condemns and reviles in the strongest terms the attacks 
     in Jerusalem and in Ashkelon;
       (2) extends condolences to the families of all those 
     killed, and to the Government and all the people of the State 
     of Israel;
       (3) calls upon the Palestinian Authority, the elected 
     Palestinian Council and Chairman Arafat to act swiftly and 
     decisively to apprehend the perpetrators of terror attacks, 

[[Page S1463]]
     to do more to prevent such acts of terror in the future and to eschew 
     all statements and gestures which signal tolerance for such 
     acts and their perpetrators;
       (4) calls upon the Palestinian Authority, and Palestinian 
     representatives in the elected Council to take all possible 
     action to eliminate terrorist activities by Hamas, 
     Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the 
     Liberation of Palestine, and all other such terror groups;
       (5) urges all parties to the peace process, in order to 
     retain the credibility of their commitment to peace, to bring 
     to justice the perpetrators of acts of terrorism, and to 
     cease harboring, financing and arming terror groups in all 
     territories under their control; and
       (6) urges the Clinton administration to act decisively and 
     swiftly against those who continue to harbor, arm or finance 
     terror groups seeking to undermine the peace process.

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