[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 9, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          TIME IS RUNNING OUT

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. ROBERT WEXLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, September 9, 1997

  Mr. WEXLER. Mr. Speaker, the scene is becoming all too familiar. 
Outdoor cafes in crowded marketplaces, baby strollers and shoppers. 
Three bombs explode, limbs are strewn everywhere, many people are dead, 
and more are badly hurt. This scene, this complete disregard for human 
life, and this sharpened sense of despair in Israel are--tragically--
today's reality.
  Prospects for peace in the Middle East are bleak. No Israeli response 
to the recent bombings in Jerusalem would be too harsh. No other nation 
on Earth would exercise the extraordinary restraint that Israel has 
exhibited under these horrific circumstances. Time, however, is running 
out. In the midst of this terror and despair, what can be done?
  As a member of the International Relations Committee in Congress, 
there is no doubt in my mind that peace in the Middle East now depends 
in great part on America's demanding--with all of her might and 
persuasion--that the Palestinian Authority and Israel strictly comply 
with and implement the Oslo accords. Chairman Arafat must stop his 
deceit and, for the first time, take bold steps to stamp out terror.
  The evidence is irrefutable that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad operate 
freely in territory that Arafat now controls. There can be no more 
trite justifications for Palestinian violence. Arafat's primary 
obligation is to employ every method to convince Palestinians that 
peace with Israel is desirable and that violence against Israel is 
unacceptable and counterproductive. Most urgently, Arafat must garner 
the political courage and strength to impose the Oslo accords on the 
dissident extremists--first by persuasion and ultimately by force. If 
Arafat is unable or unwilling to control the violence, the sad reality 
is that Arafat is useless and irrelevant, and so are the Oslo accords.
  Some argue that Israel too has failed to honor its side of the Oslo 
bargain, citing free passage for Palestinians, the airport in Gaza, and 
construction at Har Homah. It is undeniable, however, that with respect 
to its primary obligation--to turn over strategic portions of the 
West Bank and Gaza to the Palestinian Authority--Israel has made a 
substantial and good faith effort. Netanyahu now refuses to make 
further concessions until Arafat stops the killings. Netanyahu is 
correct, and the entire free world is morally obligated to support him.

  As Secretary of State Madeleine Albright visits the Middle East, she 
must wave several weighty carrots and sticks:
  First, $100 million in American aid to the Palestinian Authority 
should be suspended until President Clinton certifies that Palestinian 
leaders have made meaningful efforts to stop terrorism.
  Second, the PLO must outlaw Hamas and Islamic Jihad, just as Israel 
and other nations have declared specific terrorist groups illegal. Such 
action, simplistic as it may seem, would give the PLO greater legal 
authority to arrest terrorists and close their facilities. Arrests must 
be followed by legitimate prosecutions of terrorists and appropriate 
jail sentences. If need be, the terrorists should be extradited for 
imprisonment to the United States.
  Third, the PLO must seize all illegal weapons in territories under 
its control; and
  Fourth, the PLO must stop its vicious anti-Israel propaganda as 
mandated by the Oslo accords.
  If Arafat shows the will to fight terrorism, then the Secretary of 
State should commit full American support for an expedited negotiating 
track to resolve all outstanding issues in the peace process within one 
year. These issues include the final status of Jerusalem, the prospect 
of a Palestinian entity, and the fate of Palestinian refugees.
  To his credit, Netanyahu appears committed to an expedited, full 
peace negotiation. If Arafat is genuine in his desire for peace, he too 
should engage in such negotiations with strict timelines. An expedited 
peace process would showcase for the world which leaders are willing to 
take risks for peace and which are not. Those who choose a path 
destined for more violence must be shunned by the international 
community and incur the economic and military wrath of the Western 
world.
  For Arafat, the choice is clear--embrace peace or embrace Hamas. He 
cannot do both.




                          ____________________