[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 134 (Thursday, December 7, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S11479-S11480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        RECONCILIATION PROGRAMS

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in fiscal year 2004 I initiated a new fund 
in the Foreign Operations Appropriations Act entitled ``Reconciliation 
Programs.'' This fund is managed by the U.S. Agency for International 
Development's Office of Conflict Management and Mitigation. In fiscal 
year 2006 it was funded at $15 million, and its purpose is to support 
reconciliation programs and activities ``which bring together 
individuals of different ethnic, religious and political backgrounds 
from areas of civil conflict and war.'' Our intent is to support 
initiatives of organizations representing groups of people who have 
been in conflict with each other to promote better understanding and 
reconciliation.
  This is a global program, and the funds have been allocated to 
support activities in countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and the 
Middle East. For reasons that should be obvious, the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict is the focus of many organizations in that region 
that seek to bring representatives of both peoples together to build 
trust, improve understanding, and find common solutions to the roots of 
the conflict.
  There are dozens of conflicts in the world, and $15 million is too 
little money to support all the meritorious reconciliation proposals. 
This is particularly true in the Middle East. USAID has funded several 
organizations that bring together Israelis and Palestinians, but 
funding constraints make it impossible to support every deserving 
organization. This unmet need is the subject of a recent op-ed in the 
Palestine Times which poses some important questions. I ask unanimous 
consent that the article by Rabbi Michael Cohen, who has done 
extraordinary work in this area, be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                [From the Palestine Times, Dec. 5, 2006]

                      Palestinian Permits and NGOs

                        (Rabbi Michael M. Cohen)

       The day after Israel observed the 11th anniversary of the 
     murder of Yitzhak Rabin Haaretz summed up the Arab-Israeli 
     conflict, ``After more than six years of continuous fighting, 
     neither side appears to have given up the basic assumption at 
     the beginning of the Intafada. The Palestinians and the 
     Israelis are both still convinced the other side understands 
     only force.''
       The latest cease-fire in Gaza, shaky at best with Qassam 
     Rockets still being fired into Israel, is a move in the right 
     direction to quell the use of force by both sides. The truth 
     is that for the past year we have not been moving closer to 
     peace between Israel and the Palestinians. King Abdullah has 
     said more than once that unless there is tangible movement 
     towards peace in the upcoming months this conflict will be 
     cursed to go on for decades.
       The Talmud teaches a very profound lesson about the use of 
     force and power. In separate moments the prophets Daniel and 
     Jeremiah question how mighty is God. The Talmud responds with 
     equal audacity by stating that God's might can also be found 
     and experienced when God decides to withhold his might and 
     power! This is a lesson too often lost in this holy corner of 
     the world.
       There are scores of NGOs across Israel and the Palestinian 
     Authority working together that understand that force will 
     never translate peace into realty. In the ebb and flow of 
     diplomacy these NGOs provide the only ongoing constant to 
     strengthen the majority of Israelis and Palestinians who 
     desire peace. At one time these organizations could apply for 
     Wye River and Israel Arab Peace Partners Program grants from 
     the US government. These have been cut from the US Budget so, 
     for example, organizations of the Alliance for Peace in the 
     Middle East (ALLMEP) are limited where they can find funds.
       When attempts are made by ALLMEP to create a separate fund 
     for NGOs working to end the Arab-Israeli conflict they are 
     told by Congress that countries like Israel, Jordan, Egypt, 
     etc. already get billions in US aid, while other areas of 
     conflict get much less. The only way to create such a fund 
     would be to reduce aid, much of it military, to those 
     countries. One question that was not asked recently of Prime 
     Minister Olmert when he was in Washington was, ``Would you be 
     willing to have a few million dollars that Israel receives 
     shifted to support organizations that work towards 
     reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians?'' At 
     present the United States is spending $200 million a day for 
     the war in Iraq. Give these NGOs in the Palestinian-Israeli 
     conflict a few hours worth of that spending, and we would see 
     the Palestinian-Israeli conflict end in less than a year.
       One of the key ingredients to reconciliation between 
     Israelis and Palestinians is the ability to meet each other. 
     For years now the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies, 
     the premier teaching and research program in the Middle East 
     where future Arab and Jewish leaders are prepared to 
     cooperatively solve the region's environmental challenges, 
     has been unable to get permits for Palestinian students 
     outside of East Jerusalem to study on its campus. This 
     includes students who wish to, ``learn to use the environment 
     as an approach to peace-building between Palestinians and 
     Israelis.''
       At present the Arava Institute has put together a coalition 
     that includes the office of U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones, 
     USAID, Members of the Knesset Orit Noked and Ami Ayalon, the 
     Middle East Division of the Israel Foreign Ministry, and 
     Gisha: the Center for the Legal Protection of Freedom of 
     Movement. This coalition is working to challenge the Israeli 
     policy of not issuing any new study permits for Palestinians, 
     who have security clearance, and who wish to study in Israel. 
     This policy flies in the face of the Agreement on Movement 
     and Access that was signed last year by the United States, 
     Israel, and the Palestinian Authority. Another question not 
     asked of Prime Minister Olmert, ``Are you willing to end this 
     blanket policy of no new study permits for Palestinians to 
     study in Israel?''
       The author David Grossman, who lost his son Uri during the 
     war this past summer, poignantly addressed 100,000 Israelis 
     who gathered on the anniversary of Rabin's murder in Rabin 
     Square. Turning to Prime Minister Olmert he said, ``We have 
     no choice and they have no choice. And a peace of no choice 
     should be approached with the same determination and 
     creativity as one approaches a war of no choice. And those 
     who believe we do have a choice, or that time is on our side 
     do not comprehend the deeply dangerous process already in 
     motion.''
       Prime Minister Olmert reached out to Palestinians a few 
     days ago when he spoke at the grave of Ben-Gurion and 
     reiterated his call for the establishment of a Palestinian 
     State next to Israel. We have had enough of words. What we 
     need is peaceful action to

[[Page S11480]]

     back up such words by both Palestinians and Israelis. An 
     affirmative answer by Prime Minister Olmert to the questions 
     raised above would signal a tangible seriousness about moving 
     the peace process forward, and would show a determination and 
     creativity that is so desperately needed. Similar action will 
     also need to come from the Palestinian side so that both 
     Israeli and Palestinians can move the peace process forward 
     and not backward.
       Rabbi Michael M. Cohen is the Director of Special Projects 
     for the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies and can be 
     reached at [email protected].

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