[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 68 (Friday, May 26, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1002-E1003]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 PALESTINIAN ANTI-TERRORISM ACT OF 2006

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. BARBARA LEE

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Monday, May 22, 2006

  Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, today, the House considers H.R. 4681, 
legislation that I'm sad to say is both overbroad in its reach and 
misses the mark by penalizing the Palestinian people without compelling 
Hamas to abandon its anti-Israeli rhetoric, its rejectionist policies 
and its support for terror and violence.

[[Page E1003]]

  First of all Madam Speaker, I want to be clear: I have always and 
continue to unequivocally denounce and condemn any and all terrorist 
acts, whether committed by Hamas or any other terronst group.
  That is why I voted for S. Con. Res. 79 in February which declared 
that that no U.S. assistance should be provided directly to the 
Palestinian Authority if any representative political party holding a 
majority of parliamentary seats within the Palestinian Authority 
maintains a position calling for the destruction of Israel.
  My position on Hamas's responsibilities in light of its having 
attained a majority of seats in the Palestinian Legislative Council, 
and thus its assumption of power as the governing party of the 
Palestinian Authority, has been clear:
  Hamas must recognize Israel;
  Hamas must renounce violence and terrorism;
  Hamas must abide by previous peace agreements, like the Oslo accord, 
and act in accordance with the Roadmap; and
  Hamas must return the Palestinians to the negotiating table with 
Israel, and reach the mutually agreeable peace agreement that is called 
for in the Roadmap and the earlier agreements.
  This is Hamas's responsibility of governance. I believe the United 
States should do everything that it can to both insist upon and to 
facilitate Hamas taking up this burden of responsibility, and we should 
not rest until the goal of a negotiated settlement is achieved. 
Moreover, we should not slow the Middle East peace process by making 
these targets preconditions for our engagement in the process. As the 
assassinated Israeli Prime Minister Yitzak Rabin reminded us: I do not 
need to make peace with my friends.
  Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to understand that engagement and 
negotiation for peace is a process, not an event, and it necessarily 
involves the belligerents to a conflict, not those whom we would aspire 
to put at the negotiating table.
  I agree that we should not fund Hamas, but not at the expense of 
average Palestinians, which is the end result of this legislation. 
Among other things, this legislation obstructs a return to negotiations 
by imposing an impossible-to-achieve Presidential certification 
process. This legislation undermines U.S. national security interests 
by eliminating the President's authority to waive sanctions in the 
interests of national security. This legislation restricts U.S. 
diplomacy with moderate Palestinians by failing to distinguish between 
those in government and other political leaders and activists who are 
not affiliated with Hamas and have rejected terror, recognized Israel, 
and support a two-state solution. These are a few of the important 
reasons this legislation needs to be rewritten.

  Madam Speaker, supporting the fragile Middle East peace process 
requires us to keep as many channels as possible open and to those who 
are empowered by theIr electorate to represent their interests at the 
negotiating table.
  That's why we must reject counterproductive proposals like H.R. 4681 
and continue working on all fronts to ensure the goal of a peaceful, 
two-state solution between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

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