[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 101 (Friday, July 22, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1575]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

[[Page E1575]]


  ISRAELI AMBASSADOR'S OP-ED WARNING PALESTINIANS TO CONTROL TERRORISM

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                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 22, 2005

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call attention to a 
particularly important and insightful op-ed written by Israeli 
Ambassador Daniel Ayalon in yesterday's Washington Post. Ambassador 
Ayalon gives a forthright analysis of the precarious position that 
Israel finds itself in as it prepares courageously to implement Gaza 
disengagement.
  Israel's bold decision to hand Gaza over to the Palestinians--risking 
its national unity for the sake of advancing prospects for resolving 
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict--clearly demonstrates its profound 
devotion to peace-making. Nevertheless, Palestinian terrorism is on the 
rise again. Islamic extremists from Hamas and Palestinian Islamic 
Jihad, in particular, continue to attack Israeli civilians with Qassam 
rockets, mortars, suicide bombings, and drive-by shootings. The reason 
is clear. The terrorists want people to believe that Israel is 
withdrawing out of fear, not generosity or commitment to peace.
  Ambassador Ayalon rightly warns Palestinian Authority President 
Mahmoud Abbas that he must bring the terrorism to a halt; otherwise, he 
will waste the Palestinians' best opportunity ever to demonstrate that 
they are ``capable of governing a functioning democratic society, free 
from terrorism and focused on improving the lives of its citizens.'' 
Mr. Speaker, I want to underscore my complete agreement with this 
judgment. Ambassador Ayalon is exactly right in saying that ``Gaza is 
both the opportunity and the test for the Palestinian leadership.''
  With much of Israeli society in anguish over the disengagement, no 
one can dispute that the Israeli government is doing more than its part 
for the sake of peace. Now it is time for the Palestinian government to 
respond in kind; if it equivocates, the terrorists will win.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that the entire text of the Ambassador's 
soberingly perceptive op-ed be placed in the Record.

                     In Gaza, a Test Case for Peace

                     (By Ambassador Daniel Ayalon)

       Next month thousands of Israelis will be uprooted from 
     their homes in 25 settlements, against the backdrop of 
     widespread political opposition and intensifying Palestinian 
     terrorism. Israel faces difficult days ahead.
       Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is boldly determined to move 
     forward with disengagement from Gaza and the northern West 
     Bank out of a deep conviction that it is critical to Israel's 
     future. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership has failed 
     to meet him halfway. The Palestinian Authority's refusal to 
     disarm terrorist organizations has enabled the terrorists to 
     regroup and renew deadly attacks against Israelis, 
     compounding the difficulties of this engagement and casting 
     an ominous shadow on the possibility of future progress.
       The sharp increase in Palestinian terrorist attacks, 
     particularly in the past week, underscores the precariousness 
     of the situation. While Israel is committed to completing the 
     disengagement as planned, we will not sit idly by while our 
     civilians are under attack. Time is running out for the 
     Palestinian leadership to confront the terrorists. Should it 
     fail to do so, Israel will be forced to take the necessary 
     steps to defend its people. Lest the Palestinians miss 
     another historic opportunity, the world should insist that 
     they crack down on terrorism now.
       After numerous failed attempts by Israelis and Palestinians 
     to reach peaceful accommodation over the past 15 years, 
     Sharon decided to embark on a different course. Disengagement 
     is an immense political, strategic and indeed historical 
     undertaking, aimed at reducing friction between Israelis and 
     Palestinians, jump-starting the peace process and providing 
     the Palestinians with a unique opportunity to build 
     institutions of responsible self-governance.
       At the same time, it puts a terrible burden on thousands of 
     Israelis called on to leave their homes against their will. 
     Many have lived there for more than three generations. 
     Specially trained, unarmed units will move from house to 
     house as part of a massive logistical operation involving 
     some 50,000 security personnel, accompanied by teams of 
     social workers and psychologists. Living, breathing 
     communities, some more than 30 years old, will simply vanish. 
     Businesses, factories and farms will be shut down. Schools, 
     synagogues and cemeteries will be relocated. The removal of 
     graves, including those of terrorism victims, will be 
     especially heart-wrenching.
       The trauma of disengagement has unleashed dangerous rifts 
     in Israeli society. While the withdrawal is supported by most 
     of the public, many Israelis deeply oppose it on moral, 
     religious and security grounds. Sharon has demonstrated 
     steadfast leadership in the face of an unprecedented 
     political backlash from his traditional supporters. Given the 
     intense political opposition and growing civil disobedience, 
     the prospect of violent resistance cannot be ruled out. 
     Regardless of the outcome, the repercussions of disengagement 
     will be felt in Israel for years. At stake is not only the 
     success of disengagement but also the very fabric of Israeli 
     society.
       Adding fuel to the fire, public anxiety in Israel has 
     increased because of the resurgence of Palestinian terrorism, 
     including suicide bombings, drive-by shootings and rocket 
     attacks. Rather than confront the terrorist organizations and 
     disarm them, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has invited 
     Hamas into his government, thereby providing a terrorist 
     organization with an official seal of approval. The result 
     has been an emboldened Hamas, a further weakening of the 
     Palestinian Authority and a potentially disastrous perception 
     that disengagement is a victory for terrorism rather than an 
     opportunity for peace.
       Abbas must seize the moment and lead the Palestinians 
     toward peace. The terrorist organizations must be disarmed as 
     called for in the ``road map'' if Palestinian statehood is to 
     be achieved. This is non-negotiable. Gaza is both the 
     opportunity and the test for the Palestinian leadership. Will 
     that leadership prove itself capable of governing a 
     functioning democratic society, free from terrorism and 
     focused on improving the lives of its citizens, or will it 
     squander yet another opportunity? After leaving Gaza, Israel 
     will no longer provide an easy excuse for Palestinian 
     failure.
       The rock-solid, principled and bipartisan support for 
     Israel in the United States has been vital to our ability to 
     overcome terrorism and prepare the ground for a political 
     initiative. The notion of disengagement would have been 
     unthinkable had Israel not prevailed in the latest round of 
     sustained terrorism waged by the Palestinians since September 
     2000.
       The stakes for Israel are enormous. We are a strong but 
     small country facing a largely hostile region roughly 500 
     times our size. We can ill afford to make mistakes. Iran's 
     nuclear weapons program is imminent, posing an existential 
     threat. Syria and Iran promote and support Palestinian 
     terrorist groups sworn to our destruction. Hezbollah has 
     intensified terrorist attacks against Israel from Lebanon, 
     opening a second front aimed at derailing any progress. 
     Despite these challenges, Israel has shown it is prepared to 
     take difficult steps to achieve President Bush's vision for 
     peace in the Middle East. The world should insist on no less 
     from the Palestinians.

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