[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2535]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     IN SEARCH OF MIDDLE EAST PEACE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. SAM FARR

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 14, 2005

  Mr. FARR. Mr. Speaker, the United States must rededicate itself to 
creating the groundwork for a lasting peace between all the sons of 
Abraham. A just and lasting peace will be achieved by imbuing the 
region with the unswerving proof that democracy is the better path than 
armed conflict and insurgency.
  To quote a great American, Abe Lincoln, ``The ballot is stronger than 
the bullet.'' The Palestinian elections are a historic opportunity to 
bring more Palestinians into the folds of a democratic state; replacing 
guns with ballots. This election will, hopefully, give President Abbas 
the legitimacy to implement the necessary reforms for a democratic 
government: eliminating paramilitary groups, ending corruption and 
creating a government infrastructure that can provide economic and 
social services. Hamas is a popular organization in many parts of the 
West Bank and Gaza because it, not the state, provides a variety of 
social services.
  President Abbas must work to create law and order but, just as 
important, he needs to foster economic and social development for the 
Palestinian people, but he cannot do this alone. The West Bank and Gaza 
Strip will remain economically stagnant and ripe for further violence 
unless there are serious international efforts to improve the 
deplorable living conditions of Palestinians. I urge the Administration 
and my colleagues in Congress to robustly fund programs that will 
create economic development for Palestinians, which I believe is an 
essential step in creating peace in the region.
  Finally, the Administration and Congress should be promoting programs 
that bring about reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians. For 
example, programs like the Interfaith Encounter Association based in 
Jerusalem bring together Muslims, Jews and Christians to work on 
building peace and reconciliation. I urge the Administration to include 
robust funding in the FY 07 budget request for reconciliation programs 
and to work to build a strong, legitimate civil society in West Bank 
and Gaza so that Palestinians voices, not gunfire, can reverberate 
throughout the Middle East.
  I voted for passage of H. Res. 575 not because it is the only 
solution, but because dismantling the Hamas terrorist organization is 
part of a solution for peace between two peoples who are truly 
brothers.

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