[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 115 (Thursday, September 4, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8832-S8833]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 50--CONDEMNING THE BOMBING IN JERUSALEM ON 
                           SEPTEMBER 4, 1997

  Mr. HUTCHINSON submitted the following concurrent resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                            S. Con. Res. 50

       Whereas on September 4, 1997, 3 bombs exploded in Jerusalem 
     on Ben Yehuda Street, killing at least 8 people and injuring 
     more than 165 others.
       Whereas HAMAS, a terrorist organization, has a ``military 
     wing'' which has claimed responsibility for this cowardly 
     act;
       Whereas Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian 
     Authority, has made statements in which he said ``HAMAS, even 
     its military wing is a patriotic movement.'';
       Whereas on August 20, 1997, Chairman Arafat publicly 
     embraced the leader of HAMAS, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi;
       Whereas Yasser Arafat has recently ordered the release of 
     several HAMAS terrorists being held in Palestinian Authority 
     jails, including Nabil Sharihi, who is suspected in a bombing 
     that killed Alisa Flatow, an American citizen;
       Whereas Israel has recently given Yasser Arafat a list of 
     150 suspected terrorists who are presently residing in 
     Palestinian-controlled territory;
       Whereas Yasser Arafat has made public statements in which 
     he vowed not to ``bow down'' to Israeli requests that he 
     arrests suspected terrorists;
       Whereas since the beginning of the Oslo peace process, over 
     260 Israelis have been killed, and hundreds more have been 
     injured, far more than in a similar period before the peace 
     process began; and
       Whereas in violation of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian 
     Authority has withheld full security cooperation with the 
     State of Israel, which may have made this attack more likely; 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) condemns in the strongest possible terms this latest 
     bombing and those responsible for encouraging or inciting 
     such cowardly acts;
       Whereas (2) expresses its deepest condolences to the 
     families of the victims of this latest bombing and expresses 
     its solidarity with the people of the State of Israel in this 
     tragic time;
       (3) reaffirms that the United States should fully cooperate 
     with the State of Israel in helping to stem the tide of 
     terrorism, which has threatened the Oslo peace process and 
     the stability of this vital region; and
       (4) affirms that the United States should provide no 
     monetary or other assistance to the Palestinian Authority 
     until it has fulfilled its obligations under the Oslo 
     Accords, including--
       (A) taking affirmative steps to arrest and prosecute 
     suspected terrorists;
       (B) resuming full security and intelligence cooperation 
     with the State of Israel;
       (C) taking affirmative steps to confiscate all unlicensed 
     weapons and explosives;
       (D) publicly condemning in Arabic this most recent 
     terrorist act and other such acts;
       (E) prohibiting participation in the Palestinian security 
     services of individuals suspected of committing terrorist 
     acts;
       (F) ceasing all anti-Israeli rhetoric, including statements 
     which refer to terrorist groups as ``patriotic'', statements 
     which praise terrorists or terrorist leaders, and statements 
     encouraging a ``battle'' or ``jiha'' against Israel;
       (G) cooperating with Israel in the transfer of suspected 
     terrorists to Israel to stand trial;
       (H) rescinding the proclamation that the death penalty 
     would be imposed for the sale of land to Jews or Israelis;
       (I) ceasing the use of maps depicting ``Palestine'' as 
     encompassing the entire State of Israel;
       (J) completing the process of amending the covenant of the 
     Palestinian Liberation Organization, including the recession 
     of those specific articles which call for armed struggle to 
     liberate ``Palestine'' or question the legitimacy of Zionism 
     or the State of Israel; and
       (K) taking affirmative steps to reduce the size of the 
     Palestinian police force, in accordance with the limits set 
     forth in the Oslo and subsequent accords.

  Mr. HUTCHINSON. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my friend and 
colleague Congressman Jim Saxton, to submit a concurrent resolution 
that condemns, in the strongest possible terms, today's bombing in 
Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda Street.
  Three bombs exploded in Jerusalem today killing at least 8 people and 
injuring more than 165 others. Mr. President, once again the world 
watches in horror as innocent citizens get blown up in a Jerusalem 
marketplace.
  Just weeks after a tragic bombing incident in July, Yasser Arafat 
publicly embraced the leader of Hamas. Two weeks later, today, three 
more bombs kill and maim civilians on a crowded shopping street in 
Jerusalem.
  Mr. President, I am outraged by these continued terrorist actions 
under the watch of the Palestinian Authority.
  Mr. President, among other things, the resolution that I offer today 
would require Congress to:
  Reaffirm that the United States should fully cooperate with the state 
of Israel in helping to stem the tide of terrorism, which has 
threatened the Oslo process and the stability of this vital region; 
express its deepest condolences to the families of the victims of

[[Page S8833]]

this latest bombing and express its solidarity with the people of the 
State of Israel; and affirm that the United States should provide no 
monetary or other assistance to the Palestinian Authority until it has 
fulfilled its obligations under the Oslo accords.
  To many of my colleagues that may not already know this, I have just 
returned from Israel, where I walked up and down Ben Yehuda street. 
Therefore, this resolution hits close to home for me.
  Mr. President, it is time for Arafat to live up to the commitments he 
made in the Oslo accords and break the back of the terrorist 
infrastructure in Palestine.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in condemning today's terrorist acts 
and cosponsor this important legislation.

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