[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 133 (Thursday, October 10, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Page S10348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT

  Mr. HOLLINGS. Mr. President, during the summer I cautioned that we 
had problems: the terrorism war, the Middle East, Iraq, and we needed 
to put first things first. Success in the terrorism war depends in 
large measure on the cooperation and support of the Arab world. 
Obviously, this support would sharply diminish with an invasion of 
Iraq. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict had gotten out of hand with 
daily suicide bombings and we needed to stablize the peace process 
before invading. More importantly, I was convinced that any imminent 
threat from Saddam would be handled by Israel without debate. I ask 
unanimous consent a copy of these thoughts published in the Charleston, 
SC Post and Courier back in August be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

               [From the Post and Courier, Aug. 30, 2002]

     Israel-Palestine Crisis, Not Saddam, Should Be Bush's Priority

                    (By Senator Ernest F. Hollings)

       We have problems:
       (1) The Muslim extremists' attack on 9/11 starting the 
     Terrorism War.
       (2) The Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
       (3) The Saudi Arabian and other Muslim support of 
     terrorists.
       (4) At the same time, the need for Muslim support in the 
     Terrorism War.
       (5) Iraq.
       For the moment, the Iraq problem is easily solved. Our 
     friend Israel, with its Mossad Intelligence, knows the Iraqi 
     threat--nuclear, chemical, or biological. In 1981, they 
     didn't wait for the nuclear plant to be completed in Baghdad. 
     They knocked it out and today stand ready to knock out such a 
     threat again. We can depend on Israel for this. But Israel 
     must depend on America to get it out of its present fix. 
     Prime Minister Sharon's approach to peace--bulldozing homes, 
     sending in gun ships, and reoccupying Palestinian 
     territories--is creating more terrorists than are being 
     eliminated. We must put first things first. Secure Israel and 
     deal later with Saddam. Mention the Middle East and the 
     extremes take over. There are those who want to eliminate 
     Israel; and those who want to prevent a Palestinian state. 
     It's important to remember a few historical ``non-extremes'':
       (1) We supported the settlement of Holocaust survivors into 
     the Middle East, and the United States and the United Nations 
     recognized the State of Israel.
       (2) Egypt, Syria, Jordan and the Palestinians went to war 
     with Israel over this and Israel won.
       (3) As a result, the Palestinian losers have been holed up 
     in Gaza and the West Bank for 35 years. The Israelis use the 
     Palestinians in Israel as a workforce, but Palestinian living 
     conditions in Gaza and the West Bank have been semi-prisoner 
     and now prisoner.
       (4) Israel and the world leadership recognized that the 
     condition of the Palestinians could not be sustained and all 
     have announced for a Palestinian state.
       Trying to define a Palestinian state and guaranteeing the 
     security of Israel at the same time has always been tenuous. 
     Anwar Sadat tried and was assassinated. Yitzhak Rabin tried 
     and was assassinated. In forming the state of Israel, 
     Palestinians were scattered to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, 
     Kuwait and the world around. Many still consider themselves 
     refugees and live for the day that they can return to Israel. 
     They feel the U.S. support for Israel prevents that return. 
     This enmity toward the U.S. in exacerbated by our support of 
     the corrupt government of Saudi Arabia.
       The Saudis are two-faced. They maintain the kingdom by 
     financing the clerics and Madrassa schools against the 
     ``Great Satan'' United States while securing their national 
     defense from the United States with cheap oil. Not 
     surprisingly 15 of the terrorists on September 11th were from 
     Saudi Arabia. A feeling of hopelessness has developed in Gaza 
     and the West Bank. Youngsters with nothing to lose willingly 
     give their lives to terrorize Israel.
       Frustration with the United States' support of Israel is 
     exemplified by attacks on the World Trade Towers in 1993, on 
     our barracks in Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, our embassies in 
     Kenya and Tanzania, the consulate now in Pakistan and martyrs 
     willingly giving their lives to blow up the USS Cole, the 
     Pentagon and again the World Trade Center. A cause against 
     Israel and the United States has developed in the Muslim 
     world. A recent Gallup poll in Pakistan shows that 80 percent 
     of the people in Pakistan consider Osama bin Laden a war 
     hero.
       When President Bush took office, he was determined not to 
     pursue President Clinton's full-court press for peace in the 
     Middle East. He applied ``benign neglect'' for 16 months. Now 
     that it has his attention, he dismisses the problem by 
     calling for the removal of the elected leader of the 
     Palestinians and the forming of a democratic government in 
     three years. In the Middle East forming a democracy would be 
     more like 30 years. And the best way to guarantee the 
     continuation of Yasser Arafat is for the U.S. president to 
     call for his removal.
       Whining, ``they hate us,'' we refuse to discuss or 
     recognize the Palestinian cause. The cause must be 
     confronted. ``You can't kill an idea with a sword.'' The 
     Terrorism War won't be won militarily. Our foreign policy 
     must not be left to the extremes, Sharon and Arafat. Five 
     years from now, 10 years from now, 50 years from now there 
     will be an Israel and there will be a Palestine. The only 
     course is for the Israelis and the Palestinians to learn to 
     live together. For this to occur, President Bush must 
     personally meet with the Middle East leaders and work out a 
     realistic step-by-step institution for the security of Israel 
     and the State of Palestine. Only after that can America get 
     the support we need around the globe for the Terrorism War 
     and the overthrow of Saddam.

  Mr. HOLLINGS. The President's policy is correct, but his 
implementation miserable. One would hope that, with an imminent threat, 
the Congressional leadership is corralled quietly, briefed, and allies 
consulted for whatever action is taken. On the contrary, this President 
started off by threatening friends and foes alike blabbing, ``You are 
either with us or against us,'' ``We are the world superpower,'' ``I 
don't need the U.N.,'' ``I don't need the Congress.'' He seemed totally 
oblivious to the fact that he is going in two different directions at 
the same time. Success in the war on terrorism is largely dependent on 
support of the Arab world, but with the President's abruptness and 
braggadocio, that support could disappear with the invasion of an Arab 
country. The President thinks leadership is announcing without any 
massaging. His policy of preventive war was made to appear that war was 
our first choice. At one time the President managed to have the 
international community united against us.
  Now, it seems that President Bush has been housebroken on foreign 
policy. He has asked for the approval of Congress; he has presented his 
case to the United Nations; and, amazingly, last week said that for the 
United States, ``War is the last option.'' In turn, some of our 
European allies have come on board so that we now have a coalition, the 
United Nations is strengthening its inspection resolution and finally--
itself. The resolution of approval by the Congress for the President to 
take action has now been changed to make sense. While the threat is not 
imminent, the goal is desirable and the failure of Congress and the 
President to move together at this point would seriously damage our 
creditbility and cause us irreparable harm in foreign affairs.

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