[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 124 (Friday, October 6, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1722]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 GILMAN ENDORSES LAZIO RESOLUTION DEMANDING THAT PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE 
                         END, H. CON. RES. 418

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 6, 2000

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, I wish to take this opportunity to urge my 
colleagues to join me in cosponsoring a timely resolution sponsored by 
our colleague from New York, Mr. Lazio. H. Con. Res. 418 expresses the 
sense of the Congress regarding the current level of violence between 
the Israelis and the Palestinians. The bill responds to this most 
serious of Palestinian violations of the Oslo process by condemning the 
violence, and demands that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat 
make a public appeal on Palestinian television for an end to these 
destructive acts. However, the fact that he has not yet done so speaks 
volumes about Chairman Arafat's true intentions.
  The United States has consistently supported a peaceful resolution of 
the Arab-Israeli conflict, but this latest outburst is the worst we 
have seen in years. There is clear evidence that the violence was pre-
meditated and coordinated by Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority. It 
seems to me that there can be no more flagrant disavowal of the Oslo 
process than this instigation of violence, because the very foundation 
of the Accords that were signed by the Israelis and Palestinians since 
1993 underscores that the only avenue for the resolution of differences 
is negotiation, not confrontation.
  H. Con. Res. 418 urges the President to use all of the diplomatic 
means available to our government to seek and end to the violence and 
return the Palestinians to the negotiating table. It expresses 
congressional support for the Israeli government's efforts to bring 
this current round of violence to a peaceful conclusion, since the 
current Israeli government has made it patently clear that it is 
prepared to make historic compromises for the sake of peace. We need 
now to determine whether Yasser Arafat, representing the Palestinian 
people, feels the same way.
  H. Con. Res. 418 also urges this Administration to oppose any anti-
Israel efforts at the United Nations, including the establishment of an 
international commission of inquiry; and puts Yasser Arafat and the 
Palestinians on notice that their response to this escalation of 
violence affects their future relations with the United States.
  Accordingly, I ask that a copy of the measure be printed at this 
point in the Congressional Record for our colleagues' review, and urge 
them to contact Rep. Lazio's office at their earliest opportunity to 
cosponsor this important resolution.

                            H. Con. Res. 418


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

       Mr. LAZIO (for himself, Mr. Gilman, and Mr. Reynolds) 
     submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
     referred to the Committee on International Relations.


                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

       Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding the current 
     level of violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians.
       Whereas the United States has consistently supported the 
     peaceful resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict;
       Whereas the current level of violence between the Israelis 
     and the Palestinians is the worst in years;
       Whereas the current round of violence comes at a time when 
     the Israeli Government is prepared to make historic 
     compromises towards peace;
       Whereas there is clear evidence that this violence was a 
     pre-meditated and coordinated action by the Palestinian 
     Authority;
       Whereas the active participation of armed uniformed 
     Palestinian police in attacks against Israelis is an 
     indication of the unwillingness of the Palestinian Authority 
     to work towards a halt to this violence;
       Whereas the Palestinian Authority's encouragement of 
     violence is a violation of the underlying basis on which the 
     entire Oslo peace process has been built, particularly the 
     incitement by Palestinian television;
       Whereas the Palestinians are mounting a concerted 
     international campaign to justify the violence by blaming 
     Israel; and
       Whereas the Palestinian renunciation of violence in the 
     Oslo peace process does not provide any basis for the 
     justification of the resumption of violence: Now, therefore, 
     be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, statements 
     and actions by Palestinians designed to inflame and encourage 
     violence;
       (2) demands that Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser 
     Arafat make a public appeal on Palestinian television for the 
     public to cease further acts of violence;
       (3) urges the President to use all of the diplomatic means 
     available to the United States Government to seek an end to 
     the violence and return the Palestinians to the negotiating 
     table;
       (4) strongly supports actions by the Israeli Government 
     designed to bring this current round of violence to a 
     peaceful conclusion;
       (5) urges the Administration to oppose--
       (A) any United Nations effort to put forward one-sided 
     anti-Israel resolutions or statements; and
       (B) the establishment of any international commission of 
     inquiry; and
       (6) will consider the response of Palestinians to the 
     escalation of violence in their future relations with the 
     United States.

     

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