[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 143 (Friday, September 23, 2011)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5931-S5932]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, this week President Obama 
stood beside Israel and the cause of peace when he addressed the United 
Nations General Assembly. I rise today to also stand beside our ally 
and friend, Israel, and the goal of its two-state solution. I firmly 
believe that only a two-state solution can lead to a lasting peace 
between Israel and the Palestinian people.
  Unfortunately, we are heading down a path that will not lead to a 
lasting peace. Involvement by the U.N. General Assembly will not lead 
to a solution but will act as a disruptive force. I urge the parties to 
use the time in New York to begin a constructive dialog toward 
agreement on final status issues. If peace is to be achievable, then we 
must break through the cycle of failure that has too often plagued 
negotiations. U.N. action will not resolve the issues acting as a 
roadblock to peace.
  It is important also to note, as the President stated, that peace 
will not come until each side ``learns to stand in each other's 
shoes.'' Each party must realize the other's aspirations, because their 
futures are intricately intertwined. No action at the United Nations 
can remove or change what is an essential fact. For Israel, the two-
state solution will enable its people to enjoy a secure and peaceful 
future. For the Palestinians, the goal of nationhood can only occur 
through negotiations with Israel.
  I believe the President is making a good-faith attempt to realize and 
understand the aspirations of each party, while standing firm with our 
friends. The central reality is this: We will only recognize a 
Palestinian state as part of an agreement that leads to a lasting 
peace. This is in the best interests of Israel, the Palestinian people, 
the United States, and the international community.
  There is no time like the present to restart the hard work needed to 
achieve a lasting peace. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert 
recently pressed on the urgent need to return to negotiations in an op-
ed in the New York Times. I ask unanimous consent that this op-ed be 
printed in the Record at the end of my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  (See exhibit 1.)
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. While I don't agree with everything the 
Prime Minister wrote, I do believe he was especially correct about one 
point:

       I truly believe that a two-state solution is the only way 
     to ensure a more stable Middle East and to grant Israel the 
     security and well-being it desires. As tensions grow, I 
     cannot but feel that we in the region are on the verge of 
     missing an opportunity--one that we cannot afford to miss.

  He concludes in his piece:

       Now is the time. There will be no better one. I hope that 
     Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas will meet the challenge.

  I also hope that today both parties sit down in New York and avoid 
the disruption that will be caused by a vote in the United Nations.

                               Exhibit 1

                          Peace Now, or Never

                            (By Ehud Olmert)

       Jerusalem.--As the United Nations General Assembly opens 
     this year, I feel uneasy. An unnecessary diplomatic clash 
     between Israel and the Palestinians is taking shape in New 
     York, and it will be harmful to Israel and to the future of 
     the Middle East.
       I know that things could and should have been different.
       I truly believe that a two-state solution is the only way 
     to ensure a more stable Middle Est and to grant Israel the 
     security and well-being it desires. As tensions grow, I 
     cannot but feel that we in the region are on the verge of 
     missing an opportunity--one that we cannot afford to miss.
       The Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, plans to make a 
     unilateral bid for recognition of a Palestinian state at the 
     United Nations on Friday. He has the right to do so, and the 
     vast majority of countries in the General Assembly support 
     his move. But this is not the wisest step Mr. Abbas can take.
       The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has 
     declared publicly that he believes in the two-state solution, 
     but he is expending all of his political effort to block Mr. 
     Abbas's bid for statehood by rallying domestic support and 
     appealing to other countries. This is not the wisest step Mr. 
     Netanyahu can take.
       In the worst-case scenario, chaos and violence could erupt, 
     making the possibility of an agreement even more distant, if 
     not impossible. If that happens, peace will definitely not be 
     the outcome.
       The parameters of a peace deal are well known and they have 
     already been put on the table. I put them there in September 
     2008 when I presented a far-reaching offer to Mr. Abbas.
       According to my offer, the territorial dispute would be 
     solved by establishing a Palestinian state on territory 
     equivalent in size to the pre-1967 West Bank and Gaza Strip 
     with mutually agreed-upon land swaps that take into account 
     the new realities on the ground.
       The city of Jerusalem would be shared. Its Jewish areas 
     would be the capital of Israel and its Arab neighborhoods 
     would become the Palestinian capital. Neither side would 
     declare sovereignty over the city's holy places; they 
     wouldn't be administered jointly with the United States.
       The Palestinian refugee problem would be addressed within 
     the frame-work of the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative. The new 
     Palestinian state would become the home of all the 
     Palestinian refugees just as the state of Israel is the 
     homeland of the Jewish people. Israel would, however, be 
     prepared to absorb a small number of refugees on 
     humanitarian grounds.
       Because ensuring Israel's security is vital to the 
     implementation of any agreement, the Palestinian state would 
     be de-militarized and it would not form military alliances 
     with other nations. Both states would cooperate to fight 
     terrorism and violence.
       These parameters were never formally rejected by Mr. Abbas, 
     and they should be put on the table again today. Both Mr. 
     Abbas and Mr. Netanyahu must then make brave and difficult 
     decisions.
       We Israelis simply do not have the luxury of spending more 
     time postponing a solution. A further delay will only help 
     extremists on both sides who seek to sabotage any prospect of 
     a peaceful, negotiated two-state solution.
       Moreover, the Arab Spring has changed the Middle East, and 
     unpredictable developments in the region, such as the recent 
     attack on Israel's embassy in Cairo, could easily explode 
     into wide-spread chaos. It is therefore in Israel's strategic 
     interest to cement existing peace agreements with its 
     neighbors, Egypt and Jordan.
       In addition, Israel must make every effort to defuse 
     tensions with Turkey as soon as possible. Turkey is not an 
     enemy of Israel. I have worked closely with the Turkish prime 
     minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. In spite of his recent 
     statements and actions, I believe that he understands the 
     importance of relations with Israel. Mr. Erdogan and Mr. 
     Netanyahu must work to end this crisis immediately for the 
     benefit of both countries and the stability of the region.
       In Israel, we are sorry for the loss of life of Turkish 
     citizens in May 2010, when Israel confronted a provocative 
     flotilla of ships bound for Gaza. I am sure that the proper 
     way to express these sentiments to the Turkish government and 
     the Turkish people can be found.
       The time for true leadership has come. Leadership is tested 
     not by one's capacity to survive politically but by the 
     ability to make tough decisions in trying times.
       When I addressed international forums as prime minister, 
     the Israeli people expected me to present bold political 
     initiatives that would bring peace--not arguments outlining 
     why achieving peace now is not possible. Today, such an 
     initiative is more necessary than ever to prove to the world 
     that Israel is a peace-seeking country.
       The window of opportunity is limited. Israel will not 
     always find itself sitting across the table from Palestinian 
     leaders like Mr. Abbas and the prime minister, Salam Fayyad, 
     who object to terrorism and want peace. Indeed, future 
     Palestinian leaders might abandon the idea of two states and 
     seek a one-state solution, making reconciliation impossible.
       Now is the time. There will be no better one. I hope that 
     Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Abbas will meet the challenge.

  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. With that, I suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 
the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

[[Page S5932]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to 
speak as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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