[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 128 (Friday, October 13, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1791-E1792]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


INTRODUCTION OF H. CON. RES. 426 CONCERNING THE VIOLENCE IN THE MIDDLE 
                                  EAST

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                        HON. BENJAMIN A. GILMAN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 12, 2000

  Mr. GILMAN. Mr. Speaker, the past two weeks have seen tension in the 
Middle East spiral out of control as PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat 
attempts to dictate Israeli concessions at the negotiating table 
through the unbridled use of violence, and, most appallingly, through 
the manipulation of young children as ``martyrs in training''.
  This massive and fundamental violation of the Oslo Accords is 
intentional, as underscored when the leader of the Tanzim paramilitary 
forces in the West Bank said yesterday that his organization would 
escalate the confrontations with Israel and not try to calm the 
situation. Marwan Barghuti said, ``This blessed Intifada is looking 
ahead and the mass activity is moving forward''.
  Mr. Speaker, in today's latest outrage, a Palestinian mob killed two 
Israeli soldiers and dumped their bloodied bodies in the street after 
the pair were captured with two other servicemen earlier today in the 
Palestinian city of Ramallah.
  That is why I felt compelled to introduce a resolution, H. Con. Res. 
426 on behalf of myself and Mr. Gejdenson, our ranking Minority Member 
on the House International Relations Committee, condemning the 
Palestinian violence, and expressing congressional support for the 
people of Israel at this time of crisis.
  The Palestinians must understand that you can't have it both ways. 
The Government of Israel has made clear to the world its commitment to 
peace time and time again. We see that the Palestinian response is 
violence.
  Accordingly, I submit the text H. Con. Res. 426 to be printed at this 
point in the Congressional Record, and urge our colleagues to strongly 
support this.

                            H. Con. Res. 426

       Whereas the Arab-Israeli Conflict must be resolved by 
     peaceful negotiation;
       Whereas since 1993 Israel and the Palestinians have been 
     engaged in intensive negotiations over the future of the West 
     Bank and Gaza;
       Whereas the United States, through its consistent support 
     of Israel and the cause of peace, made the current peace 
     process possible;
       Whereas the underlying basis of those negotiations was 
     recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) by 
     Israel in exchange for the renunciation of violence by the 
     PLO and its Chairman Yasser Arafat, first expressed in a 
     letter to then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin dated 
     September 9, 1993, in which Mr. Arafat stated: ``[T]he PLO 
     renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence, 
     and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and 
     personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent 
     violations and discipline violators.'';
       Whereas as a result of those negotiations, the Palestinians 
     now fully control over 40 percent of the West Bank and Gaza, 
     with over 95 percent of the Palestinian population under the 
     civil administration of the Palestinian Authority;
       Whereas as a result of peace negotiations, Israel turned 
     over control of these areas to

[[Page E1792]]

     the Palestinian Authority with the clear understanding and 
     expectation that the Palestinians would maintain order and 
     security there;
       Whereas the Palestinian Authority, with the assistance of 
     Israel and the international community, created a strong 
     police force, almost twice the number allowed under the Oslo 
     Accords, specifically to maintain public order;
       Whereas the Government of Israel made clear to the world 
     its commitment to peace at Camp David, where it expressed its 
     readiness to take wide-ranging and painful steps in order to 
     bring an end to the conflict, but these proposals were 
     rejected by Chairman Arafat;
       Whereas perceived provocations must only be addressed at 
     the negotiating table;
       Whereas it is only through negotiations, and not through 
     violence, that the Palestinians can hope to achieve their 
     political aspirations;
       Whereas even in the face of the desecration of Joseph's 
     Tomb, a Jewish holy site in the West Bank, the Government of 
     Israel has made it clear that it will withdraw forces from 
     Palestinian areas if the Palestinian Authority maintains 
     order in those areas; and
       Whereas the Palestinian leadership not only did too little 
     for far too long to control the violence, but in fact 
     encouraged it: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That the Congress--
       (1) expresses its solidarity with the state and people of 
     Israel at this time of crisis;
       (2) condemns the Palestinian leadership for encouraging the 
     violence and doing so little for so long to stop it, 
     resulting in the senseless loss of life;
       (3) calls upon the Palestinian leadership to refrain from 
     any exhortations to public incitement, urges the Palestinian 
     leadership to vigorously use its security forces to act 
     immediately to stop all violence, to show respect for all 
     holy sites, and to settle all grievances through 
     negotiations;
       (4) commends successive Administrations on their continuing 
     efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East;
       (5) urges the current Administration to use its veto power 
     at the United Nations Security Council to ensure that the 
     Security Council does not again adopt unbalanced resolutions 
     addressing the uncontrolled violence in the areas controlled 
     by the Palestinian Authority; and
       (6) calls on all parties involved in the Middle East 
     conflict to make all possible efforts to reinvigorate the 
     peace process in order to prevent further senseless loss of 
     life by all sides.

     

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