[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
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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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