[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 17, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3495-S3496]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     THE RECENT BOMBINGS IN ISRAEL

  Ms. MOSELEY-BRAUN. Mr. President, I would first like to congratulate 
President Clinton for his leadership at the ``Summit of Peacemakers'' 
conference which was recently convened in Egypt. I salute the President 
and the other world leaders who gathered in Sharm El Sheik for their 
avowed support of the Middle East peace process and their strong 
showing of international solidarity against terrorism.
  I also want to extend my heartfelt sympathy and condolences to the 
families of those murdered in the recent terrorist attacks in Israel. 
May the Almighty comfort them among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. 
As the Nation of Israel mourns the loss of its sons and daughters, I 
pray that the story of Purim will serve to comfort the entire family of 
Israel and give it hope, knowing that God will deliver the Jewish 
people today as in the past.
  Mr. President, I condemn in the strongest of terms the barbarous acts 
of organized and random terrorism against innocent Israeli civilians, 
including young children. Those responsible for these indiscriminate 
and cowardly acts of murder and violence must be held accountable for 
their actions and brought to justice. Their punishment must be swift, 
decisive and thorough, not only to serve as a deterrent, but as a 
reminder that the world community will never allow the evils of 
terrorism to triumph over the forces of peace.
  I call upon the peace and freedom loving peoples of Gaza, the West 
Bank and the Arab world to condemn outright these heinous acts of 
barbarism allegedly committed on their behalf and in their name. These 
acts do not further Palestinian interests nor, I believe, do they 
represent the sentiments of the overwhelming majority of the 
Palestinian people. I further enjoin them to outlaw, expose, disarm and 
arrest members of paramilitary organizations within their midst and to 
deny them sanctuary and safe haven. Their presence and actions are a 
threat not only to the State of Israel, but also to the Palestinian 
self-rule national authority in the West Bank and Gaza.
  Mr. President, we can no longer afford to look at terrorism and 
suicide bombings in Israel--and in other parts of the world --as a 
distant danger. The bombing of the World Trade Center in New York City 
in February 1993 and the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma 
City last April have shattered our false notions of security. Anti-
terrorism units, swat teams, and bomb squads train with the same 
intensity and seriousness of purpose as sprinters, long distance 
runners, swimmers, and gymnasts in their preparation for this summer's 
Olympic games in Atlanta. In truth, every act of terrorism--in Israel 
or elsewhere--strikes

[[Page S3496]]

at the essence of all free, democratic and open societies. Our 
disagreements are dealt with civility and without violence or the 
threat of violence.
  With each terrorist threat against the Government, our citizens lose 
a measure of their freedom. When an American seeks to exercise even the 
most basic of rights--renewing a drivers license, boarding an airplane 
or picking up documents at a government building--he or she is often 
subject to a thorough search of his or her person and property. Even 
the street in front of the White House--the people's house--has been 
closed and street traffic rerouted. Moreover, streets around the House, 
Senate and Capitol buildings have been blocked-off and barricaded. All 
of these measures have been done because of our heightened sense of 
vulnerability to terrorism. The humiliation and inconvenience that 
these situations present are mitigated only by the American people's 
acquiescence and realization that such practices are unfortunately 
necessary in today's world. But it does not have to be this way, and we 
must not become accustomed to the threat of terrorism. To the extent 
that we refuse to accept it, to the extent we refuse to be desensitized 
to violence, we will invigorate the will to fight it.
  The most recent bombings in Israel have also had a direct impact on 
my home State of Illinois. The celebration of the Jewish holiday of 
purim is traditionally one of the more colorful festivals in the city 
of Chicago. Children are dressed in costumes, friends exchange gifts 
and there is laughter and merriment. However, as events of yet another 
suicide bombing in Israel unfolded, grief, anxiety and depression 
replaced joy, laughter, and merriment.

  The juxtaposition of bombs and purim provides a context for 
understanding how we can draw inspiration and strength from history. 
Just as the Jews in Ancient Persia responded to danger with prayer and 
courageous action, so too must we. Mr. President, I, for one, am tired 
of lighting candles, attending memorial services and waiting for news 
of the next terrorist attack. It is time for us to be proactive and not 
merely reactive. We must declare all-out war against terrorism and 
terrorist organizations and take the fight to them wherever they 
exist--at home or abroad. We must make it clear to terrorists, their 
organizations, and the countries which sponsor and harbor terrorists 
that their actions will not produce the desired result--the 
interruption or abandonment of the peace process--and that the United 
States and other nations will no longer permit their actions to go 
unpunished.
  There must be a recognition, however, that terrorism cannot be 
defeated through unilateral action alone. World leaders must understand 
that it is in every country's interest to have this menace eradicated 
from the face of the Earth. Unless and until serious anti-terrorist 
actions are implemented internationally, including the denial of safe 
haven and sanctuary for perpetrators of terrorism, we can expect more, 
not fewer, incidents like we witnessed in Israel these past 2 weeks.
  Mr. President, we, the inhabitants of this planet, are one family. 
While differences and disputes are unavoidable, I believe all problems, 
no matter how intractable they may seem, are soluble. Peace and 
negotiations are not just the answer--they are the only answer.

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