Congressional Record, Volume 143 Issue 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)

[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 80 (Tuesday, June 10, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H3588-H3591]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

RELATING TO 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF REUNIFICATION OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM

Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the
concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 60) relating to the 30th
anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem.
The Clerk read as follows:

H. Con. Res. 60

Whereas for 3,000 years Jerusalem has been the focal point
of Jewish religious devotion;
Whereas Jerusalem today is also considered a holy city by
members of the Christian and Muslim faiths;
Whereas there has been a continuous Jewish presence in
Jerusalem for three millennia and a Jewish majority in the
city since the 1840's;
Whereas the once thriving Jewish majority of the historic
Old City of Jerusalem was driven out by force during the 1948
Arab-Israeli War;
Whereas from 1948 to 1967 Jerusalem was a divided city and
Israeli citizens of all faiths as well as Jewish citizens of
all states were denied access to holy sites in the area
controlled by Jordan;
Whereas in 1967 Jerusalem was reunited by Israel during the
conflict known as the Six Day War;
Whereas since 1967 Jerusalem has been a united city, and
persons of all religious faiths have been guaranteed full
access to holy sites within the city;
Whereas this year marks the 30th year that Jerusalem has
been administered as a unified city in which the rights of
all faiths have been respected and protected;
Whereas in 1990 the United States Senate and House of
Representatives overwhelmingly adopted Senate Concurrent
Resolution 106 and House Concurrent Resolution 290 declaring
that Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, ``must remain an
undivided city'' and calling on Israel and the Palestinians
to undertake negotiations to resolve their differences;
Whereas Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel later cited
Senate Concurrent Resolution 106 as having ``helped our
neighbors reach the negotiating table'' to produce the
historic Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government
Arrangements, signed in Washington, D.C. on September 13,
1993; and
Whereas the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-
45), which became law on November 8, 1995, states as a matter
of United States policy that Jerusalem should remain the
undivided capital of Israel: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate
concurring), That the Congress--
(1) congratulates the residents of Jerusalem and the people
of Israel on the 30th anniversary of the reunification of
that historic city;
(2) strongly believes that Jerusalem must remain an
undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and
religious group are protected as they have been by Israel
during the past 30 years;
(3) calls upon the President and the Secretary of State to
affirm publicly as a matter of United States policy that
Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the State of
Israel; and
(4) urges United States officials to refrain from any
actions that contradict this policy.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York [Mr. Gilman] and the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton] each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman].
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. Gilman asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of House Concurrent
Resolution 60, legislation that I sponsored with our colleague from New
York, Mr. Schumer, which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the
reunification of Jerusalem.
I want to thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Schumer] for his
leadership on this issue and commend him for his steadfast commitment
to Israel and Jerusalem. I also want to commend our ranking minority
member, the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hamilton], for his support of
this legislation.
The legislation before us today reinforces the strong relationship
between the American people and the nation of Israel. From Israel's
independence in 1948 until the miraculous reunification of Jerusalem in
1967's Six-Say War, Jerusalem was a divided city and Israeli citizens
of all faiths, as well as Jewish citizens of all states, were denied
access to holy sites in the area, which was controlled by Jordan. The
once thriving Jewish majority of the historic Old City of Jerusalem was
driven out by force in 1948, not to return again for 19 long years.
Despite the more than 3,000 years of Jewish residency in Jerusalem,
Jews were once again cast out from King David's capital by overwhelming
force. Once Jerusalem was one city again, the Israeli Government took
important steps to guarantee freedom of religious access, not only to
the Jews who had been denied their holy sites all those years, but also
for Christians and Muslims. With the reunification of the city under
Israel's jurisdiction, persons of all religious faiths have been
guaranteed full access to their holy sites in Jerusalem.
Congress, in its role as the representative of the American people,
has stated its support for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel on
numerous occasions. We believe that Jerusalem must remain an undivided
city forever. Indeed, the landmark legislation which became law in
1995, the Jerusalem Embassy Relocation Act, states these beliefs as a
matter of U.S. policy.
Mr. Speaker, House Concurrent Resolution 60 congratulates the
residents of Jerusalem and the people of Israel on the 30th anniversary
of the reunification of that historic city; reiterates the belief that
Jerusalem must remain an undivided city in which the rights of every
ethnic and religious group are going to be protected as they have been
by Israel during the past 30 years. It also calls upon the President
and the Secretary of State to affirm publicly as a matter of United
States policy that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of the
State of Israel; and urges United States officials to refrain from any
actions that contradict this policy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues' strong support for this important
measure.
Mr. Speaker, I do not have any further requests for statements. I
would like to thank the Speaker, the gentleman from Georgia [Mr.
Gingrich], for his special interest in this resolution, as well as the
balance of the leadership on both sides of the aisle for their support
of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

General Leave

Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks
on House Concurrent Resolution 60.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to note that the legislative business on suspensions
will be concluded with the adoption of this resolution and that any
Members having amendments with regard to the State Department
authorization measure are urged to come to the floor at this time.
Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I am going to rise in opposition to House Concurrent Resolution 60
relating to the 30th anniversary of the reunification of the city of
Israel. I do so

[[Page H3589]]

reluctantly because I support the unity of the city of Jerusalem. I
also value the many positive contributions Israel has made in and to
Jerusalem over the last three decades.
I believe that it is critical for the United States to refrain from
any actions that undermine the unity of this city which is holy for
Jews, Muslims, and Christians. I also believe that the United States
should eventually move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, which Israel
considers its capital.
I regret that the Committee on International Relations was given no
opportunity to consider this resolution before the House took it up
under this suspension, where amendments are not possible. A single
change to the language of the resolution would have gained my support
and that of others who support the unity of Jerusalem, but also support
forward progress in the Middle East peace process and oppose
unnecessarily provocative actions to or by any of the parties to that
process.
It would be totally consistent with U.S. policy to say that Jerusalem
must remain an undivided city. It would even be acceptable to describe
Jerusalem as Israel's capital and then state, as did House Concurrent
Resolution 290, which this resolution cites, that it should remain an
undivided city.
However, it is not consistent with United States policy articulated
over several decades under several administrations of both parties to
state, as this resolution does, that Jerusalem must remain the
undivided capital of the State of Israel.
Taking such action at this time also hurts U.S. policy more
immediately and directly. It will make it more difficult to get an
already stalled peace process back on track.
I oppose the resolution at this time for three reasons. First, I do
not think it is in the U.S. national interest to take any action that
could hinder the peace process or the ability of the United States to
continue to play an indispensable role in that process. We need to
preserve our role as trusted intermediary, particularly now that we are
moving toward permanent status negotiations in which Jerusalem will be
a subject.
The United States has a vital interest in seeing the peace process
move forward. Such forward movement is not likely to occur if we do
serious damage to the critical U.S. role. We cannot preserve this role
if the Congress succeeds in its attempt to force a U.S. policy that
prejudges an issue as contentious as the final status of Jerusalem, an
issue which the Declaration of Principles, signed by both parties in
1993, states will be determined by the parties to the conflict in their
final status negotiations.
Second, the issue of Jerusalem has been left for the final status
negotiations because of the strong emotion it engenders, because of the
controversy it promotes, and because of the need to build confidence
among the parties in any proposed solution of the Jerusalem issue. That
confidence does not exist among the parties today. This resolution is
another unilateral action that can make it more difficult to prepare
for the key final status talks.
Finally, I think we need to view this suspension resolution, House
Concurrent Resolution 60, together with the other provisions relating
to the Middle East that are being discussed and will be voted upon when
H.R. 1757, the State Department authorization bill, comes before the
House for further consideration later today.
In addition to this resolution on Jerusalem, that bill contains
additional problematic language on Jerusalem. We also will vote today
on amendments with respect to Syria, actions by the Palestinian
Authority with which we disagree, and a possible amendment on reducing
aid to Egypt. Each of these amendments has some merit. I agree with
much of what they say, but their cumulative effect is to have the
United States appear very one-sided on matters where our continued
ability to be trusted by all parties is critical.
So, Mr. Speaker, while I join my colleagues in saluting and
celebrating a united Jerusalem, I cannot support this resolution at
this time. I have, of course, no doubt about the strong support for the
resolution. I just think it is appropriate for a few of us to speak out
for a nearly 50-year-old American policy in the Middle East, a policy
supported by 10 successive Presidents, that has served the Nation and
the Middle East well.

{time} 1245

I urge my colleagues not to make a difficult peace process even more
difficult. I would urge a no vote on House Concurrent Resolution 60.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation with regard to the reunification of
Jerusalem has been considered and adopted by the House in prior years,
so its consideration should not be considered controversial. President
Clinton has stated his support for an undivided Jerusalem. Since the
onset of the peace process in 1992, Congress has gone on record on this
issue on several occasions. Accordingly, this should not be seen as
impairing the peace process. It has not stopped the negotiations from
going forward, even when we adopted the Jerusalem Embassy Relocation
Act.
Accordingly, I urge our colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from New York [Mr. Schumer], the original sponsor of this measure.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York [Mr.
Gilman] for yielding me this time and for his leadership on this issue;
I thank the ranking member, even though we disagree, for his
consideration.
Mr. Speaker, just 30 years ago, Jerusalem was a city divided, divided
by barbed wire, divided by faith and divided by violence. In 1948,
Jews, who have looked to Jerusalem for 3 millennia as their holy place,
were systematically expelled from their holy city. The houses of
worship were destroyed, the cemeteries were desecrated. Gravestones
served as roads for construction in the city. The most holy of
religious sites, the Western Wall, was used ignominiously as a garbage
dump. Jews from around the world were unable to worship at their
holiest of holy sites.
At the time, the free world rightly declared this heinous act of war
illegal but did nothing, absolutely nothing, to change it. Thirty years
ago all that changed. Jerusalem was liberated. Jews from around the
world could once again pray in Jerusalem. Today Jerusalem is a city
reunited, united in geography, united in respect for faith and united
in search for peace.
Since 1967, Jerusalem has been the united sovereign capital of
Israel, which no Israeli Government, Labor or Likud, would ever agree
to divide. There are many issues that divide the Jewish community these
days, both here in America and in Israel. This is not one of them. I
say to my colleagues that Jewish citizens of America, Jewish citizens
of Israel are virtually unanimous in the view that Jerusalem should
remain the undivided capital.
I remind Members that under the last 30 years, the holy sites of all
three great religions have been open to those who wish to pay their
respects and pray there, unlike the period of 1948 to 1967.
In my judgment, the Palestinian Authority has no claim on Jerusalem,
not only in fact and in history but because of what they did between
1948 and 1967. They lost it. To make the Wailing Wall a garbage dump?
That is absolutely disgraceful and an abomination.
So over the years, recognizing that Congress has affirmed the policy
that Jerusalem remain the undivided capital of Israel through numerous
resolutions and laws, but never has it been more important that the
United States speak with one voice to make the policy clear, that
Jerusalem is and will always be the undivided capital of Israel. We in
the U.S. House of Representatives understand the significance of
Jerusalem to the Jewish people. Today, like Jerusalem, we stand united
in congratulating the people of Jerusalem on the 30th anniversary of
their city's reunification, united in commending Israel for
guaranteeing the right of people of all faiths, Jewish, Christian,
Muslim, to pray at their holy sites, united that this holy city never
be divided again.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to offer this resolution today to
congratulate the people of Jerusalem on the 30th anniversary of their
city's reunification, to say that it is my belief that the United
States ought to stand foursquare behind that reunification and not do
anything, anything at all, to undercut the

[[Page H3590]]

fact that we will stand by Israel in its goal to keep Jerusalem united
and prevent it from being divided. I say to those who do not believe
that, that the peace process in my judgment, if it is based on the view
that it ultimately must have a divided Jerusalem, will ultimately fail,
and we ought to affirm that now and forever and once and for all.
Mr. Speaker, for 3,000 years, since the destruction of the second
temple, the people of Jerusalem and world Jewry have said the
following: ``Jerusalem, if I forget thee, let my right hand be
severed.'' We will never forget Jerusalem, and we are here to celebrate
its permanent reunification.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from New York
[Mr. Schumer] for his leadership on this issue and for his very
eloquent words in support of the resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman
from Florida [Mr. Goss], the distinguished former chairman of our House
Intelligence Committee.
(Mr. GOSS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. GOSS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution. I
believe it is extremely appropriate that we tell the world that we are
happy to celebrate this occasion and that we are still committed very
much to overseeing our responsibilities toward peace in the area.
I take the view that we are in the business here of underscoring our
commitment to the peace process. I do not believe that one can raise
the issue of Mideast geopolitics without somehow conveying the idea
that there is controversy. But I think that the issue before us is
without controversy. It is on the suspension calendar, and I think it
is merely a question of acknowledging the leadership of those who have
made this possible to come before us. I associate myself with the
distinguished remarks of the gentleman from New York, who I think put
them so eloquently. I would suggest that to fail to pass this today
would send a very bad message. On the other hand it deserves our
unanimous support. I congratulate the distinguished chairman for
bringing this to our attention.
Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentlewoman from New York [Mrs. Lowey].
Mrs. LOWEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of this
resolution congratulating the Israeli people on the 30th anniversary of
the reunification of Jerusalem. Today we in this House reaffirm our
commitment to Jerusalem as the unified capital of Israel now and
forever. It is especially fitting that we rise today to celebrate the
Israeli capital as the people of the Middle East are struggling to
bring peace to the region.
In these difficult times it is critical that we show our support for
a safe and secure Israel, with Jerusalem as its undivided capital.
Jerusalem has been and must remain a center of ethnic and religious
diversity where individual rights of worship are respected and
protected. Torn apart by war for almost two decades, Jerusalem was
united as the capital of the State of Israel 30 years ago and so it
shall remain. I commend my colleagues for bringing this important
resolution to the floor, and I urge its passage.
Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself 1 minute.
Mr. Speaker, I simply wanted to point out that the Department of
State opposes this resolution. It opposes it on constitutional foreign
policy and operational grounds. Quoting from their memoranda,

The intent of this legislation is to force the
administration to recognize Jerusalem as part of the
territory of the State of Israel and indeed as the capital of
the State of Israel. Our view of Jerusalem is guided by the
Declaration of Principles, Oslo I, in which the two sides
agreed that Jerusalem will be addressed in permanent status
negotiations.
Our objection to this bill is based on our long-standing
policy toward Jerusalem and on the fact that this provision
raises serious constitutional issues because it purports to
limit the President's exclusive authority to conduct the
Nation's diplomatic relations and others.

The point simply is that this resolution does not state American
policy in the Middle East as it has been for many, many years,
supported by 10 Presidents. Members should be aware of the fact that
when they vote for this, for all kinds of good reasons, they are
nonetheless departing from the U.S. position on the Middle East peace
process that has served this Nation and served the Middle East, I
think, very well for many years.
Mr. GEPHARDT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be an original cosponsor of
House Concurrent Resolution 60, and I urge its adoption by the House of
Representatives.
Two years ago, I joined many others in the Capitol rotunda to
commemorate the 3,000th anniversary of the founding of the city of
Jerusalem. It is in the spirit of that powerful ceremony, and in the
spirit of Jerusalem itself, that I rise today in support of this
resolution.
There is no question that Jerusalem is among the most important sites
of modern civilization--a triumph of faith and freedom not just for the
Jewish people, but for all people. And although people have fought over
Jerusalem for thousands of years, today it stands as a city of peace,
in which different races and religious faiths live together.
That is why Jerusalem should remain an undivided city, and be
recognized as the capital of Israel. After all, Jerusalem embodies the
very notions of liberty, justice, and freedom from persecution upon
which Israel was founded. And it is only fitting that the holiest city
in the world be celebrated as the center of the Jewish people, who have
strived for so long simply to be able to express their faith freely and
openly. That's why I supported and Congress passed legislation in 1995
to move the United States Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.
Today's resolution reiterates the message we delivered in 1995 and
which the Congress has expressed in prior years. We must be clear,
however, that it is not enough simply to celebrate the past 3,000 years
of Jerusalem's existence, or its past 30 years as an undivided city. We
must seek to keep Israel and Jerusalem strong for the next 3,000 years.
That's part of what the Middle East peace process is all about--and
what the United States' unwavering support for Israel is all about.
In closing, I congratulate the residents of Jerusalem and the people
of Israel on the 30th anniversary of that city's reunification, and I
urge my colleagues to support this resolution.
Mr. GINGRICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my strong support
for House Concurrent Resolution 60, congratulating the people of Israel
on the 30th anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem.
It has been 30 years since Israel in the course of the 6-day war
reunified the city of Jerusalem and opened its holy sites to people of
all faiths. It has also been the policy of the United States ever since
the historic reunification of this most holy city that it should never
again be divided.
As a nation, one of our most fundamental principles is the principle
of freedom of religion. With this vote, we in Congress reaffirm our
belief that an undivided Jerusalem is integral to maintaining the
rights of every ethnic and religious group in the city of Jerusalem,
and we recognize and commend the people of Israel for protecting this
right over the past 30 years.
I would also like to again urge the President and the Secretary of
State to affirm publicly what we in Congress have consistently voiced
for many years, that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel. I also call on
the President to move forward at this time with the selection of a site
for the new American Embassy in Jerusalem.
Mr. BRADY. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of House Concurrent
Resolution 60. I am pleased to support this resolution which
congratulates the residents of Jerusalem and the people of Israel on
the 30th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, calls upon the
President and the Secretary of State to publicly affirm--as a matter of
U.S. policy--that Jerusalem must remain the undivided Capital of
Israel, and urges U.S. officials to refrain from any actions that
contradict this policy.
For three thousand years, Jerusalem has been the religious,
spiritual, and cultural center of the Jewish people. It is also
important to note that Jerusalem has sites that are also important to
other religious faiths. Furthermore, during the period 1949-1967, the
eastern part of Jerusalem was under Jordanian control and people of all
faiths were denied access to their holy sites. However, since Jerusalem
was reunited in 1967, it has been a city open to people of all
religions.
In addition to House Concurrent Resolution 60, the House is also
considering another important piece of legislation, the Foreign
Relations Authorization Act (H.R. 1757), affecting U.S. policy toward
Jerusalem. Both of these bills reaffirm positions taken by Congress in
1995, when it overwhelmingly passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act. While
that legislation become law on November 8, 1995, President Clinton,
unfortunately, did not sign it. The Jerusalem Embassy Act declares that
official U.S. policy should recognize Jerusalem as the Capital of the
State of Israel. The bill also supports Jerusalem remaining an
undivided city where the rights of every ethnic and religious group are
protected. Finally, it requires that

[[Page H3591]]

the United States move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by May
31, 1999. We are also committed to seeing this happen and have included
provisions to do so in H.R. 1757.
I urge my colleagues to vote for both House Concurrent Resolution 60,
as well as H.R. 1757, which reaffirm our belief that Jerusalem should
remain Israel's undivided capital.
Mr. HAMILTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Calvert). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New York [Mr. Gilman] that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution, House
Concurrent Resolution 60.
The question was taken.
Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.

____________________