[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 82 (Wednesday, June 19, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S5767]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            THE MIDDLE EAST

  Mr. WELLSTONE. Regarding the Middle East, I make two points, although 
in a few minutes it is hard to give justice to what is happening.
  First, yesterday was a horrible day not just for Israel and Israelis 
but for Israel's neighbors, as well: The murder of 19 innocent people, 
and God knows how many were injured. Some of those people, young men 
and women, were teenagers. Murder is never legitimate. That is what 
this is. This is terroristic murder of innocent people.
  It is not for me, as a Senator, to come to the floor and say the 
people of Israel or supporters in the United States are not to have 
indignation. We should condemn it. I condemn it on the floor of the 
Senate. I condemn it.
  Second, Prime Minister Rabin said when confronted with terrorist 
attacks, something like: We will go after the terrorists; we will 
defend ourselves, and we will go forward with the peace process--in 
other words, we are not going to let the extremists, Hamas terrorists 
and others, completely destroy the peace process or completely prevent 
us from getting back on a political track. It is extremely important.
  I support what has been courageous work of Secretary of State Powell. 
I believe the Secretary is right in what I think he is proposing; that 
is that our Government has to play a positive and proactive role. We 
cannot zig and zag. It cannot be a contradictory policy. We should be 
strong in our condemnation of the terrorism, of the murder of innocent 
people, and we also should be a part of the denunciation and the 
enunciation of a political goal that goes in the direction of two 
states, side by side, people living side by side with one another, in 
secure borders.
  Ultimately, that is what is going to happen. The question is, How 
wide and how deep a river of blood has to be spilled beforehand? I know 
the dynamics are swirling around in terms of domestic politics, but I 
believe it is extremely important the President, the administration, 
step forward with our support and be clear in our condemnation and be 
clear in the call for demands of reform within the Palestinian 
Authority and the rest. But at the same time we should not come away 
from the role we can play in laying out a political goal, laying out 
the goal of two states side by side and trying to bring the parties 
together.
  With the status quo, the present course, more Israeli children and 
Palestinian children will die. There have been innocent Palestinians 
who have died, innocent Palestinians who also have, unfortunately, been 
killed, though never deliberately. I ask unanimous consent for 1 more 
minute.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. WELLSTONE. It is extremely important that this administration lay 
out this goal. It is extremely important the President be strong. It is 
extremely important we condemn the violence but we also be part of the 
political process.
  I believe the vast majority of people, Israelis and their neighbors, 
do not want to see this continuing killing of innocent people. Enough.
  I yield the floor.

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