[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 142 (Thursday, September 22, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H6350-H6351]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE UNITED NATIONS AND A PALESTINIAN STATE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Illinois (Mr. Dold) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. DOLD. I, too, want to send my happy birthday out to the Peace 
Corps, and certainly it's a great day to celebrate that birthday.
  Madam Speaker, what we are seeing at the United Nations this week is 
a brazen rejection of the basic principle of a negotiated peace. 
Tomorrow, Mahmoud Abbas will deliver a speech

[[Page H6351]]

at the United Nations where he is expected to formally announce a 
resolution to unilaterally seek the declaration of a Palestinian state.
  While we are ultimately committed to a future where the two states, 
Israel and Palestine, are able to live side by side in long-term peace 
and security, while all of us in this Chamber heard directly from 
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in May on his nation's commitment to a 
two-state solution, the question I have and which I wish every nation 
in the world who will be voting on this issue should ask itself is: Are 
the Palestinians ready to make peace?
  This is the key question and is what Prime Minister Netanyahu laid 
out in his remarks right here in this Chamber: ``The conflict has never 
been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been 
about the existence of the Jewish state. That is what this conflict is 
about.''
  Madam Speaker, this unilateral declaration of independence is a 
direct challenge to the United States and the efforts and the dollars 
we have committed in recent years to promote a real, lasting peace. It 
is fundamental that peace cannot be imposed from the outside. It can 
only be made in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
  There are too many difficult core issues which can only adequately be 
addressed through direct negotiations, which must be mutually accepted 
by governments on both sides, and, most importantly, which must be 
ratified by the people who live there. Without these vital elements, 
you don't have peace. You don't even increase the chances for peace 
down the road. Rather, you undermine the prospects for achieving it in 
the future.
  This is the point of this unilateral declaration. Where is the 
commitment to peace on the Palestinian side?
  Palestinian officials have made it clear that this unilateral effort 
is another means of isolating Israel and escalating the conflict 
against her. Palestinian officials have made it clear that they seek to 
advance this bid so that they can attack Israel through the 
international legal system, including taking actions against Israel in 
the International Court of Justice.
  The tragic reality, Madam Speaker, is that Israel lives in a very 
dangerous region of the world, and the Israeli people absolutely have 
grave security concerns that should not simply be tossed aside by 
countries that are allies of the United States of America. The Israeli 
people are surrounded by hostile neighbors that want to drive Israel 
out of existence. We here in America must understand the reality on the 
ground and the threats Israel faces each and every day.
  Israel is a peace-seeking democracy, and the Israeli people simply 
want to live in peace and security. Iran has its proxies closing in: 
Hamas in Gaza; to the south there's the Muslim Brotherhood, now gaining 
significant power in Egypt; Hezbollah is in the north; and in the 
northeast is Syria, led by Assad.
  The recent downgrade in relations by Turkey is very serious. The 
instability of the Sinai is of enormous concern. This is a dangerous 
neighborhood, and recent events are bringing into sharp view Israel's 
daily reality--increased isolation and living under siege.
  As we witnessed with the flotilla last year, with the storming of 
Israel's Embassy in Cairo 2 weeks ago, or with Turkey's new aggressive, 
bellicose rhetoric and actions, Turkey, who until very recently had 
enjoyed a successful diplomatic and economic partnership with the State 
of Israel, events in the Middle East can easily spiral out of control 
and lead to outcomes that nobody desires.
  Fortunately, the Members of this Chamber have made it clear to the 
entire world that we will not sit idly by during the continued 
delegitimization of the State of Israel and the international 
community. I applaud the efforts of my colleagues in both parties who 
have continued to beat the drum and call this unilateral attempt 
exactly what it is--an effort to circumvent direct negotiations and 
undermine peace.

                              {time}  1040

  I am pleased that the President is committed to vetoing this 
unilateral attempt in the Security Council if it does come to a vote, 
and I appreciate his administration's focus on this particular critical 
issue.
  We must continue in our efforts to urge the nations of the world to 
stand with the United States, support peace efforts in the Middle East, 
and oppose this resolution.
  Peace between Israel and her Palestinian neighbors cannot be achieved 
unless both sides sit and find common ground. Unilateral declarations 
and third parties cannot do it for them. The only path forward is for 
the Israelis and the Palestinians to sit together and find peace. It is 
time for Mr. Abbas to come back to the table--his actions and decisions 
here must not be rewarded; our allies in the world should recognize 
this--otherwise they are legitimizing and ratifying the Palestinian 
refusals to negotiate.

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