[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 160 (Wednesday, December 14, 2005)]
[House]
[Pages H11637-H11642]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   PROVIDING THAT HAMAS AND OTHER TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD NOT 
         PARTICIPATE IN ELECTIONS HELD BY PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree 
to the resolution (H. Res. 575), providing that Hamas and other 
terrorist organizations should not participate in elections held by the 
Palestinian Authority, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 575

       Whereas the foundation for the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
     process was Palestinian recognition of Israel's right to 
     exist and a solemn obligation to end terrorism and violence;
       Whereas the removal of all Israeli presence in Gaza 
     signifies an end to Israeli responsibility there and a shift 
     in security responsibility of Gaza to the Palestinian 
     Authority;
       Whereas Israel's evacuation of Gaza affords the Palestinian 
     Authority, now the responsible governing authority in Gaza, 
     the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to govern, to 
     establish the rule of law, to end corruption, and thereby to 
     demonstrate that it is a partner for peace;
       Whereas Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has 
     repeatedly called for the establishment of ``One Authority, 
     One Law, and One Gun'';
       Whereas since the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, 
     the Palestinian Authority has taken few steps to establish 
     rule of law in Gaza;
       Whereas Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, 
     and other terrorist organizations have vowed to continue 
     terrorism against Israeli civilians, seek the destruction of 
     the State of Israel, and employ violence and terror in 
     fulfillment of that aim;
        Whereas the inclusion of Hamas, or any other terrorist 
     group on the State Department list of foreign terrorist 
     organizations, into the Palestinian structure could be 
     construed as an implicit endorsement of their anti-American 
     and anti-Israeli terrorist ideology;
       Whereas the first provision of the Road Map to Middle East 
     Peace calls for the Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist 
     infrastructure;
       Whereas these terrorist organizations, including Hamas and 
     Islamic Jihad, operate virtually without interference from 
     the Palestinian Authority;
       Whereas Hamas has announced its intention to run in 
     Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for January 2006;
       Whereas Abbas has indicated his willingness to see Hamas 
     participate in the elections without first calling for it to 
     disband its militia or for it to renounce its goal of 
     destroying the State of Israel;
       Whereas the United States has clearly stated that armed 
     militias attached to political parties are incompatible with 
     democratic societies;
       Whereas President Bush has stated that Hamas ``seeks to end 
     dissent in every form, to control every aspect of life . . . 
     the terrorists are preparing a future of oppression and 
     misery'';
       Whereas the forces of freedom must continue to keep an 
     untiring vigil against the enemies of rising democracies; and
       Whereas the United States has a longstanding policy of not 
     dealing or negotiating with terrorists: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,  That the House of Representatives--
       (1) reaffirms its commitment to the safety and security of 
     the democratic State of Israel;
       (2) asserts that terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, 
     should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian 
     elections until such organizations recognize Israel's right 
     to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, condemn 
     terrorism, and permanently disarm and dismantle their 
     terrorist infrastructure;
       (3) calls on the Palestinian Authority President Abbas 
     before the election to declare openly his intention to take 
     action to dismantle the terrorist organizations;
       (4) asserts that the inclusion of Hamas, or any other 
     terrorist group on the Department of State's list of foreign 
     terrorist organizations, in the Palestinian Authority's 
     government will inevitably raise serious questions for the 
     United States about the commitment of the Palestinian 
     Authority and its leadership to making peace with Israel and 
     will potentially undermine the ability of the United States 
     to have a constructive relationship with, or provide further 
     assistance to, the Palestinian Authority; and
       (5) states its strong belief that, as underlined in every 
     recent Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement, progress in the 
     peace process requires sustained Palestinian effort to 
     dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, and that delay in 
     confronting that principal obligation only emboldens the 
     opponents of peace and threatens its realization.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) and the gentleman from California (Mr. 
Lantos) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Florida.


                             General Leave

  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all 
Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I rise in strong support of House Resolution 575, and I 
commend my distinguished colleague and friend, Congressman Cantor, for 
introducing this resolution and Congressman McCaul for his efforts on 
this measure. I thank also the House leadership, Chairman Hyde and 
Ranking Member Lantos of the International Relations Committee for 
helping to bring House Resolution 575 to the House floor today.
  This resolution takes a united stand against the attempts of the 
murderous Islamic extremist organizations to hijack the elections that 
will be taking place within the Palestinian Authority.
  Hamas, in particular, is inserting itself in the political process 
while fully maintaining and reportedly expanding its militant 
activities. That organization's continuing violence against Israel and 
its refusal to disarm has been a constant and incendiary impediment in 
the U.S. efforts to promote peace and security in the region.

[[Page H11638]]

  Allowing a group with a track record like Hamas to obtain significant 
influence and legitimacy within the Palestinian Authority severely 
jeopardizes our goal of eliminating jihadist safe havens through 
preemptive democratic reform. Conversely, allowing these organizations 
to masquerade as political parties and abuse the political process 
would be a triumph for those who wish to spread fear and violence 
throughout the region.
  The participation of Islamist jihadist organizations, such as Hamas, 
in Palestinian elections will destroy any hope for peace and security 
for Israel, or for peace, democratic governance, and economic growth 
and prosperity for the Palestinian people.
  A mistake was already made this summer, my colleagues, by allowing 
Hezbollah, another military jihadist entity, to participate in the 
Lebanese elections. Despite Hezbollah's refusal to disarm their 
militias and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure in violation of 
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559.
  Hezbollah's participation this summer in Lebanon's first elections 
after Syrian military withdrawal was allowed despite its continued 
targeting of Israelis, including the recent violence on Israel's 
northern border. The U.S. must not allow a similar error with respect 
to Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian elections. The stakes are too 
high, and the negative consequences are far too ominous.
  We must continue to raise our strong opposition to the participation 
of jihadist organizations in Palestinian elections. Their participation 
will run counter to both U.S. policy priorities and statements from the 
Palestinian leadership regarding political reform and the fight against 
worldwide terrorism.
  For the sake of peace and security, and for the benefit of both the 
Palestinian and the Israeli people, we must leverage our influence to 
promote and support positive change within the Palestinian Authority 
and prevent Islamist extremist organizations like Hamas from hijacking 
the process.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield the balance of my time to the gentleman from 
Texas (Mr. McCaul), and I ask unanimous consent that he be permitted to 
control the time as the author of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Florida?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution, 
and I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  I want to commend my colleagues and friends, Mr. Cantor and Mr. 
Menendez, for introducing this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my colleagues on both sides to 
suspend disbelief for a moment and imagine that this body included not 
just Democrats and Republicans but also representatives of an armed 
terrorist militia. Imagine that colleagues knew that those who opposed 
the militia's proposals might be killed as a result. It would certainly 
change the dynamics of this body just a bit, would it not, Mr. Speaker?
  Well, that is exactly the circumstance that the Palestinian 
Legislative Council will face when it convenes after the January 25 
elections, when Hamas, by current projections, is likely to hold over a 
quarter of the council seats.
  Mr. Speaker, corruption of the legislative process is just one of 
many reasons that parties, so-called parties representing militias have 
no place in a Democratic system. When terrorist militias participate in 
elections, voters are intimidated. The concepts of the will of the 
majority and the rights of the minority are rendered meaningless.
  Mr. Speaker, terrorist Hamas has no business participating in a 
Palestinian election that is supposed to advance the cause of peace; 
indeed, in a Palestinian election for a legislative body whose very 
basis is an Israeli-Palestinian agreement in which the Palestinians 
agreed to foreswear all violence.
  In fact, Hamas should be disqualified on two grounds: as a terrorist 
group and as a group that denies Israel's right to exist. And there is 
a third reason as well: Hamas is a fundamentalist jihadist organization 
that has nothing but contempt for democracy, though it is more than 
happy to exploit democracy for its own nefarious ends.
  Mr. Speaker, the participation of Hamas in the January 25 Palestinian 
election now appears likely. Just today, Hamas submitted its list of 
candidates. But Hamas participation will be a mistake of historic 
proportions for the cause of Israeli Palestinian peace. The very first 
clause of the Middle East roadmap requires that the Palestinians 
dismantle all terrorist infrastructure.
  If that is what Abu Mazen wants to do, he is going about it in an 
entirely wrong way. With Hamas inside the legislative chicken coop in 
huge numbers, supported there in the cause of violence and gun-bearing 
by numerous other factions from Abu Mazen's own Fatah party, it will be 
more difficult than ever for Abu Mazen and the Palestinian authority to 
take the necessary action to dismantle Hamas' terrorist infrastructure, 
much less to convince it and other terrorist groups to disarm 
peacefully.
  I deeply regret that Abu Mazen has welcomed Hamas' unconditional 
participation in the upcoming Palestinian elections. In passing this 
resolution, we will call on Abu Mazen to reverse course at the eleventh 
hour to prevent Hamas from participating and thereby try to help these 
elections prepare the ground for meaningful post-election peacemaking.
  But, Mr. Speaker, even if Abu Mazen does not heed our advice, this 
resolution sends a powerful message to all the Palestinian people. The 
United States will have no interest in dealing with a Palestinian 
government that includes Hamas. Abu Mazen and his colleagues will have 
to keep that in mind when they form their cabinet.
  Moreover, the inclusion of Hamas representatives in the government of 
the Palestinian Authority will have a profound effect on the attitude 
of the United States, both our government and the American people, 
toward Palestinians.

                              {time}  2300

  It will inform every decision that this body makes regarding any 
issue related to the Palestinians, including economic assistance. I 
urge Abu Mazen in the strongest terms to reconsider his decision to 
welcome Hamas participation in Palestinian elections. I urge all of my 
colleagues to support Middle East peace and to fight terrorism by 
voting for this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this resolution to express 
the idea that democracy and terrorism are not compatible and that 
statesmen and terrorists cannot coexist. I want to thank Mr. Cantor and 
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen for their assistance and hard work in bringing this 
important resolution to the floor. I would also like to thank Mr. 
Menendez, Mr. Lantos, Ms. Berkley, and Mr. Wexler for their partnership 
on this issue.
  We have come here today in a very bipartisan fashion in order to 
deliver a message to Mr. Abbas and to all other developing democracies 
in the rest of the world.
  The future of Palestinian democracy cannot include terrorists and 
religious fanatics. The first step of President Bush's road map to 
peace calls for the disarming of Hamas and other terrorist 
organizations, as well as the dismantling of the terrorist 
infrastructure. The Palestinian people will have a future only if their 
leaders begin to take responsibility for the well-being of their 
citizens, and they must end their obsession with the destruction of the 
State of Israel.
  Democratic parties cannot control armed militias. If the Palestinians 
wish to have a democratic country, Hamas must lay down its arms, and it 
must renounce the use of terrorism and violence, and it must recognize 
Israel's right to exist; or they must know that this Congress will not 
be a friend to their government. Terrorist organizations do not have a 
place in a peaceful political process.
  It is not unprecedented in recent history for a terrorist 
organization to lay down its arms, to renounce its violent ways, and 
then to be accepted into a legitimate democratic government. The IRA 
has accomplished this, and Hamas

[[Page H11639]]

has had the opportunity to do this. But instead, they have repeatedly 
vowed to continue bloody terrorist acts against innocent Israeli 
citizens and stated their intentions to seek the destruction of the 
State of Israel.
  President Abbas himself has called for the Palestinian Authority to 
act with one authority, one law, and one gun. But actions speak louder 
than words, and this upcoming election is the test for him and for 
Palestinian democracy.
  The Palestinian government has not taken the necessary steps to 
accomplish this goal, and President Abbas' apparent willingness to 
allow Hamas to participate without preconditions is disheartening.
  The United States has a longstanding policy of not dealing with or 
making concessions to terrorists. We do not negotiate, we do not trade 
with, and we do not fund terrorists. Therefore, there is no diplomacy 
to be had with terrorists, and the Palestinian Authority will be a 
terrorist government if Hamas candidates are elected.
  And what if members of terrorist organizations are elected? Should 
American taxpayers be forced to send foreign aid to the hands of these 
terrorists? Should we be giving them an opportunity to divert American 
foreign aid directly into the hands of terrorists who have pledged to 
kill innocent civilians? The answer is no.
  This resolution is a message to President Abbas. If the Palestinian 
Authority is determined to continue and allow Hamas to participate as 
planned, then this government will have to take a new look at our 
relationship with the Palestinian government.
  I urge my colleagues to support emerging democracies in the Middle 
East and to support this important resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentlewoman from 
Nevada (Ms. Berkley), a co-author of this resolution, my dear friend 
and distinguished colleague.
  Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Lantos for his leadership on 
this and so many other issues.
  I rise tonight in strong support of H. Res. 575, a resolution that 
expresses the sense of the House that Hamas should not be permitted to 
participate in Palestinian elections, and I urge its immediate passage.
  I would also like to thank my colleagues who helped author this 
resolution and move it expeditiously to the floor: Mr. Cantor, Mr. 
Menendez, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. McCaul, and Mr. Wexler.
  The goal of this resolution is to send a strong and unambiguous 
message to Abu Mazen that Hamas and the other terrorist groups should 
not be allowed to participate in the upcoming Palestinian elections. 
They should be prohibited from participating in the government and the 
Palestinian Authority should take affirmative steps to disarm and 
dismantle them. When Abu Mazen was elected, he pledged to root out 
terrorism and end corruption in the Palestinian Authority. To say he 
has not lived up to his pledge would be a decided understatement.
  I believe Yasser Arafat did a tremendous disservice to the 
Palestinian people; and I believe that if Abu Mazen does not step up 
soon, lead his people and do what he has promised to do, that he will 
also be doing a tremendous disservice to the Palestinian people.
  The very first step of the road map to peace is not only the 
denunciation of terrorism. That is the easy part. It is the dismantling 
and the disarming of the terrorist infrastructure and terrorist 
organizations. Abu Mazen has yet to take this essential first step.
  No one disputes that Hamas is a terrorist organization. It has 
conducted numerous suicide bombings inside Israel and is responsible 
for the death of countless innocent people. Hamas does not accept 
Israel's right to exist and has never accepted the peace process. They 
this week announced, I am sorry to say, they vowed to end the truce 
they negotiated with Israel and vowed it will end by the end of this 
year.
  Instead of striking out against Hamas and instead of stepping up to 
the plate and disarming the terrorists and dismantling their terrorist 
organizations, Abu Mazen's latest strategy is to try to co-opt them and 
bring the terrorist organization Hamas into his government. Allowing 
terrorist organizations to participate in the election process will not 
see them wake up the day after the election, embrace each other, sing 
Kumbaya and strive for peace and recognition of Israel. Instead, it 
will give them a dangerous foothold in the Palestinian Authority within 
which they can operate and further embolden those who support terrorism 
and the destruction of the State of Israel.
  Hamas' participation in the election can only continue a long-running 
cycle of violence and terror. It undercuts the ability of the 
Palestinian government to engage in true democratic reforms and further 
strengthens the enemies of Israel and those who oppose peace. Hamas and 
other terrorist groups should be banned from the upcoming elections and 
from any future role in government until and unless they recognize 
Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, cease all forms of 
incitement and violence, condemn terrorism, and dismantle their 
terrorist infrastructures.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume 
to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Cantor).
  Mr. CANTOR. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Texas for his 
leadership on this issue, as well as the leadership of the gentleman 
from Florida, the chairwoman of the Middle East Subcommittee. And I 
also want to recognize the continued leadership on so many issues of 
import that the gentleman from California (Mr. Lantos) has displayed. I 
also thank the cosponsor of the resolution, the gentleman from New 
Jersey (Mr. Menendez), as well as the gentlewoman from Nevada who just 
spoke, and Mr. Wexler.
  I believe that this bipartisan display of support here for H. Res. 
575 is no accident. It is an important resolution that demonstrates the 
unity of this House against what is going on currently in the 
Palestinian Authority vis-a-vis Hamas and other terrorist 
organizations.
  The Palestinian people will elect a new parliament on January 25, 
2006. But even before they choose their elected representatives, they 
must make another choice. That choice is whether to keep their 
allegiance with a terrorist past or to begin a new path towards peace.
  When he was elected president, Abu Mazen was presented with a 
historic opportunity to change the direction of the Palestinian 
Authority from one of terror that existed under Yasser Arafat to one of 
peace.
  But at every turn, he has refused to take the necessary steps to 
eliminate the terrorist infrastructure that results in the killing of 
so many innocent men, women and children on the streets of Israel. Now, 
with an election around the corner, rather than use all of the force he 
has at his disposal to get rid of the terrorists, Abu Mazen is giving 
Hamas and other terrorist groups legitimacy by allowing them to 
participate in the Palestinian elections.
  Mr. Abbas has an opportunity right now to make a genuine gesture for 
peace, ban Hamas and other terrorist groups once and for all from the 
electoral process in the Palestinian Authority.
  To understand the true nature of Hamas, one only needs to look at 
recent headlines. On Sunday, it was reported in the media that Hamas 
leaders and leaders from other terrorist groups met with Iran's foreign 
minister and in the resulting days escalated their terrorist attacks 
against Israel. Let us not forget that Iran's president recently called 
for Israel to be wiped off the map. Later he suggested that Israel be 
moved to Europe and called the Holocaust a myth.
  Let us not forget that Hamas is on the State Department's list of 
terrorist organizations. It has never recognized Israel's right to 
exist, and it has now displayed an alliance with murderers, thugs, and 
developers of weapons of mass destruction. The bottom line: Hamas' 
entry into a Palestinian government would provide a veil of legitimacy 
to the terrorists.
  As President Bush has said so often to the nations of the world, you 
are either with us or you are against us. In the United States we do 
not tolerate the terrorists or those who support them. This standard 
should and does apply to the Palestinian Authority.

[[Page H11640]]

  It is an understatement to say there is nothing constructive that can 
come from Hamas' participation in Palestinian elections. In the 
strongest way possible, this Congress will speak out; and I urge my 
colleagues to insist that Hamas and other terrorists be banned from the 
Palestinian elections.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 6 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), the distinguished chairman of 
the Democratic Caucus, who will soon move over to the other body to 
continue his good works.
  (Mr. MENENDEZ asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. MENENDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I thank my distinguished friend from 
California who I have had the privilege of serving with on the 
International Relations Committee.

                              {time}  2315

  Mr. Speaker, first I want to thank Mr. Cantor for his work on this 
resolution, my counterpart on it, and his efforts to bring the 
resolution to the floor. I also want to thank Mr. Lantos, Mr. McCaul, 
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen and Mr. Wexler, among all the others. There is an 
enormous number of bipartisan supporters of this resolution which 
speaks volumes, I think, about where the Congress stands.
  We are here today to send a clear message to the Palestinian 
Authority that terrorism and democracy do not mix. Today we are here to 
send a clear message to President Abbas and to Hamas before the 
Palestinian elections on January 25. If Hamas and other terrorist 
organizations participate in the upcoming legislative elections, 
without first disarming and renouncing terrorism and their goal of 
eliminating the State of Israel, they will undermine Palestinian 
democracy and the Palestinian Authority's relationship with the United 
States of America.
  As Mahatma Gandhi once said, ``The spirit of democracy cannot be 
established in the midst of terrorism, whether governmental or 
popular.''
  That is why we are simply asking the Palestinians to join democracies 
around the world in taking a stand against hatred and terrorism. In 
fact, the Palestinian Authority's own election law would disqualify 
groups like Hamas from participating. These groups, who espouse racism, 
terrorism, intolerance and hatred, have no place in democratic 
elections.
  When I met with President Abbas a few months ago, I made it clear to 
him that we hoped that he would deal with this issue before the 
elections. I gave him a letter signed by nearly 300 Members of the 
House of Representatives, which I wrote with Representative Pryce, from 
the House leadership and the International Relations Committee, urging 
him to take immediate action. Yet we have only to look at the recent 
suicide bombing in Netanya, which killed five people and wounded at 
least 30 others, to see that President Abbas has not taken the 
necessary steps to dismantle the terrorist organizations.
  And while President Abbas has taken some steps to quell incitement 
and has condemned terrorist attacks, I believe that his failure to 
fully confront Hamas will only hurt him in the future and will threaten 
Palestinian democracy.
  Let me be clear, I simply do not believe that Hamas should be given 
the ability to use democracy to carry out terrorism.
  President Abbas has asked Hamas to respect one authority, one law and 
one gun. But Hamas has refused to accept that policy. Hamas leaders 
have even vowed to turn the Palestinian Authority forces into a 
``resistance force'' against Israel.
  That is why I am deeply concerned that President Abbas is allowing 
Hamas to participate in elections. Perhaps he is hoping that, by buying 
time now, he will be able to disarm them later. But a policy of hoping 
will not work.
  Look at Hezbollah. Hezbollah, a terrorist group funded by Iran and 
waiting right across Israel's northern border, took part in elections 
in Lebanon. Now they are armed with political power, as well as guns, 
and they have used their seats in parliament to avoid disarming.
  I can think of no clearer example of the danger of a state run by 
those who support terrorism and espouse violence and anti-Semitism than 
the country of Iran. The Iranian president has spewed anti-Semitism and 
hatred in his calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and his 
denial of the Holocaust. Meanwhile, his government continues to defy 
the world with its dangerous nuclear programs.
  It is all too clear what President Abbas must do: He should take 
responsibility as leader of the Palestinian people and demonstrate that 
the Palestinian Authority can establish the rule of law. That is why we 
are urging Mr. Abbas to confront Hamas and fully dismantle the 
terrorist network. Otherwise, we risk more violence, more terror and 
more Israeli and Palestinian blood. We risk jeopardizing a nascent 
Palestinian democracy. We risk too much.
  Today this Congress needs to send a clear message to Hamas that you 
cannot manipulate democracy to carry out terrorism.
  Today this Congress sends a clear message to President Abbas that we 
support true democracy for the Palestinian people. Today this Congress 
needs to send a clear message to Israel that the United States will 
never waiver, and we will never falter in our support for our historic 
ally. We will never waiver nor falter in our support for Israeli 
democracy, and we will never waiver or falter in our fight against 
terrorism, anti-Semitism, hatred and violence.
  As we vote for this resolution, the United States is proud to stand 
with Israel and the Israeli people.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio 
(Mr. Kucinich).
  (Mr. KUCINICH asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I want to join with my colleagues in 
standing up in support of the state of Israel and in demanding that the 
Palestinian Authority do everything it can to set aside all the 
statements made by people within its sphere that would call for the 
destruction of Israel. And they must take action to stop terrorists and 
their infrastructure.
  I would just like to respectfully suggest, however, that this 
resolution, as well intended as it is, has the potential to have an 
impact that would be contrary to what you are hoping for. Let me state 
how, that Congress passing this resolution could actually have a 
reverse effect in the streets of the Palestinian Authority and end up 
actually engendering more support for Hamas. I think that, as we are 
approaching the midnight hour and coming close to the 15th of December, 
the date when the elections are taking place in Iraq, it is kind of 
ironic that we are in this situation of, on one hand, encouraging the 
broadest participation in the Iraqi elections of people in some cases 
who have been shooting at our own soldiers and, on the other hand, 
saying that, in the Palestinian Authority, we are going to start to 
say, well, these groups cannot participate. No matter how much we 
object, and I do object, to their attacks on Israel; I would just again 
like to respectfully suggest that all of us who are here in support of 
a peaceful resolution of the conflict that is taking place in the 
Middle East, that maybe have a third way that we could proceed other 
than this resolution.
       Letter From Americans for Peace Now:
       Later today H. Res. 575 is scheduled to come to a vote on 
     the House floor. This resolution deals with the participation 
     of Hamas in the upcoming Palestinian parliamentary elections, 
     scheduled for January 25, 2006. Americans for Peace Now (APN) 
     rejects terror and has consistently called on President Abbas 
     and the Palestinian Authority to undertake meaningful, 
     sustained action to stop terrorists and destroy terrorist 
     infrastructure. APN agrees that the Palestinian Authority 
     must establish ``One Authority, One Law, and One Gun.''
       However, APN believes that this resolution misses the point 
     on both democracy and Hamas.
       APN urges Members, whether or not they vote for the 
     resolution, to speak out during the floor debate and to 
     submit statements for the record drawing attention to the 
     problems with this resolution.
       Nobody (except the terrorists) is happy with the prospect 
     of Hamas and other terrorist organizations participating in 
     Palestinian elections. Likewise, few people are happy that 
     Hizballah is an active participant in Lebanon's political 
     process, including a longstanding presence in its parliament 
     and government. Likewise, few people are happy with the 
     participation of armed militias in elections in Iraq.

[[Page H11641]]

       In the cases of Lebanon and Iraq, however, the decision has 
     been to ``not allow the perfect to be the enemy of the 
     good.'' The goal of eradicating terror and consolidating 
     weapons in the hands of the legal government remains, but the 
     elections were applauded and the process of democratization 
     was not put on hold. Nobody argued that eradicating terror 
     and establishing ``one gun'' should, in these cases, be a 
     prerequisite for democratic elections, or threatened that if 
     it was not made a prerequisite, the U.S. relationship with 
     the resulting democratically elected body--and U.S. 
     assistance to its people--would suffer.
       President Abbas is trying to do in the territories what the 
     U.S. has encouraged the government to do in Iraq: absorb 
     militias into the official armed forces in order to make them 
     accountable to official command and control.
       Israel spent nearly three decades trying to defeat Hamas 
     through military means alone, and failed. Since coming to 
     power less than a year ago, President Abbas has made a very 
     public commitment to take on Hamas and other terrorist 
     organizations after elections--a strategy based on the 
     reasonable assertion that, backed by a democratically-elected 
     parliament, he will have the strength and credibility to move 
     forward with this difficult task. He should be held to this 
     commitment.
       The reduction of terror against Israeli citizens requires 
     the containment and eventual dismantling of militias, 
     including Hamas. Israeli General (Ret.) Ephraim Sneh, who 
     served as military governor of the West Bank and Deputy 
     Defense Minister of Israel, recently stated:

     ``Under current conditions in the Palestinian territories, 
     especially given the Palestinian government's weakness, 
     political containment should precede the dismantling of 
     Hamas's military infrastructure. The urgent objective is to 
     defeat it in the next parliamentary elections. Steps that 
     could strengthen it in the elections should be strictly 
     avoided. Attempts to postpone the elections yet again, or to 
     prevent Hamas's participation, or Israeli disruption of the 
     elections as `punishment' for the participation of Hamas, 
     will strengthen Hamas in the Palestinian street instead of 
     weakening it. The short time left before the elections must 
     be used to empower all who oppose Hamas, first and foremost 
     the supporters of the elected Palestinian president, Mahmoud 
     Abbas.'' (Washington Post, October 19, 2005)

       In the countdown to the elections, for the sake of 
     democracy and peace in the Middle East--vital components to 
     Israel's security--the focus should be on strengthening 
     Palestinian moderates, including President Abbas. Actions 
     that risk elevating the status of Hamas and other extremists 
     should be avoided.
       After the January 25th election, Israel, the Bush 
     Administration, and the international community--as well as 
     the Palestinian people--should hold President Abbas to his 
     commitment, and hold him accountable if he fails to take 
     action.

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time, and 
I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I 
may consume.
  In closing, I would submit that we all would like to see a peaceful 
resolution to this. There are many ways to build a democracy. We 
encourage statesmen to explore all of them and to find the one that 
will benefit their people the most. However, to allow terrorists and 
murderers to participate and allowing political parties who control 
armed militias to gain phony legitimacy through elections is not 
productive and will ultimately lead their country off the path to 
democracy. Furthermore, it will force us to reassess our relationship 
with the Palestinian Authority.
  I strongly urge President Abbas to heed this warning, and I strongly 
urge my colleagues to vote for this resolution.
  Mr. HIGGINS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H. Res. 575, a 
resolution that renews our commitment to the security of the State of 
Israel. Israel has long been a friend and ally to the United States. As 
our two nations enter the 21st century, we must continue to work 
together against violence and terrorism and in support of peace. A 
crucial part of the peace process is the emergence of a democratic 
Palestinian Government that denounces and combats terrorism, and 
respects the boundaries and sovereignty of all of its neighbors, 
including Israel.
  This cannot happen if Hamas participates in the January 25, 2006 
elections held by the Palestinian Authority, PA. H. Res. 575 would make 
it clear to PA President Abbas that Congress strongly disapproves of 
Hamas's inclusion in the elections and would have a difficult time 
working with the PA should Hamas delegates be elected.
  In December 2003, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon announced that 
Israel would unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip; that evacuation 
was completed on August 23, 2005. Prime Minister Sharon has taken 
tremendous steps, and incurred great risk, to encourage peace through 
the disengagement plan.
  PA President Abbas, however, has not followed up on his role in 
disarming terrorist groups and helping to secure peace. Additionally, 
Hamas, a U.S. designated terrorist organization that calls for the 
destruction of Israel, wants to participate in Palestinian 
parliamentary elections. Hamas is directly responsible for over 200 
attacks in Israel and the killing of American citizens. Hamas 
participation in PA elections violates existing Israeli-Palestinian 
agreements and undermines internationally supported efforts to 
establish a stable, democratic and non-violent Palestinian state.
  There is wide international precedent for democratic countries to ban 
extremist and violent political parties from participating in elections 
until they have disavowed such views or renounced violence. Under the 
road map peace plan, backed by the quartet--the United States, Russia, 
the European Union and the United Nations--the PA is required to launch 
``sustained, targeted, and effective operations aimed at confronting 
all those engaged in terror'' and to begin the ``dismantlement of 
terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.'' Instead of taking such 
action, the PA has invited Hamas to participate in the elections with 
no requirement to disarm. This poses a direct threat to establishing a 
stable Palestinian state and a peaceful Middle East.
  Mr. Speaker, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has said ``Hamas is 
a terror organization and it has to be disbanded, both for the sake of 
peace and security in the Middle East and for the sake of the proper 
functioning of the Palestinian Authority.'' I oppose Hamas's 
participation in the upcoming election as it would legitimize a known 
terror network. The PA leadership needs to disarm and gain control of 
Hamas and other terror networks. A party running on a platform calling 
for Israel's destruction is innately an advocate of violence. Further, 
a party that would use force for political leverage is a threat to the 
democratic process. That is why, Mr. Speaker, I will vote in favor of 
H. Res. 575 today and I urge my colleagues to join me in this front of 
the war on terror.
  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a cosponsor of H. 
Res. 575, which states that Hamas and other terrorist organizations 
should not participate in upcoming January 2006 legislative elections 
held by the Palestinian Authority. The aims and principles of Hamas, 
Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups are incompatible 
with the democratic process. Hamas has continually called for the 
destruction of Israel by any means, and their involvement in elections 
puts the road map process for peace in the Middle East in jeopardy.
  The foundation of the peace process was based upon the Palestinian 
Authority's acknowledgment of Israel's right to exist as a sovereign 
nation and their duty to end terrorist attacks from Palestinian soil. 
The first stage of the road map process calls on the Palestinian 
Authority to disarm all terrorist groups and their infrastructure. I am 
extremely disappointed that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has 
made such limited progress in dismantling the terrorist infrastructure 
in the Palestinian territories.
  The Palestinian Authority has the ability to dismantle terrorist 
groups, as their security forces dwarf the size of the Hamas militia by 
nearly 10 times. A recent survey indicates that the vast majority of 
the Palestinian people support an immediate end to all forms of 
violence. The Palestinian Authority has a unique opportunity under a 
new President to renounce all forms of terrorism, and move towards 
securing a lasting peace settlement in the Middle East.
  Just as the United States will not negotiate with terrorists, neither 
will Israel. Should members of Hamas become part of the Palestinian 
Government, the United States would have to reassess its financial 
assistance to, and its diplomatic relations with, the Palestinians.
  I welcome competitive elections in the Palestinian Authority. 
However, no functioning democracies permit terrorist organizations to 
participate in elections. Germany, Italy, Turkey and many other nations 
all prohibit any terrorist groups from participating in elections. In 
Iraq and Afghanistan, members of the former Ba'ath Party and the 
Taliban must renounce any links or support for the former regimes. 
Egypt and Jordan do not support the existence of Hamas or other 
terrorist organizations. I call for President Abbas to dismantle the 
terrorist organizations in the Palestinian territories and to meet his 
obligations under the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a cosponsor and strong supporter of 
this resolution and urge its swift passage.
  Some will argue violence perpetrated by Hamas is only undertaken by 
the militant wing of the organization and that its political arm can 
otherwise be a legitimate player in Palestinian politics. I reject that 
argument. We have seen nations throughout recent history require

[[Page H11642]]

organizations that formerly endorsed violence to formally renounce such 
tactics before participating in electoral politics. President Abbas 
should insist upon such action before allowing Hamas to participate in 
the upcoming legislative elections.
  Secretary Rice stated recently that participants in a democratic 
political process cannot simultaneously keep an option on politics and 
an option on violence. Unfortunately, that is the case we now see 
unfolding in the Palestinian territories.
  I support the establishment of a Palestinian state that can live side 
by side in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbors in 
the Middle East. How, though, will the United States be able to deal 
honestly and in good faith with a government composed of unrepentant 
members of an organization that advocates terror and the dissolution of 
our greatest ally in the Middle East--Israel? And perhaps more 
importantly, how will the Palestinian Government ever be able to 
negotiate with Israel?
  This is of profound concern to me because the United States should 
help the Palestinian Government get on its feet and should help it 
develop an infrastructure that well serves its people. Certainly the 
Israelis need a legitimate body with which they can negotiate. The 
bottom line is a Palestinian legislature with members representing 
Hamas is a weakened body that will be stymied by serious questions 
about its legitimacy.
  The peace process requires a sustained Palestinian effort to 
dismantle the terrorist infrastructure. President Abbas can take a bold 
stand by insisting Hamas cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and 
permanently disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure before 
participating in the January elections.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Reichert). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen) that the 
House suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 575, as 
amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of 
those present have voted in the affirmative.
  Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this question will 
be postponed.

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