[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 5]
[Senate]
[Pages 7365-7366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

  Mr. SPECTER. Mr. President, I urge the Palestinian Authority not to 
take unilateral action on May 4 to declare a Palestinian state. That 
date, May 4, 1999, marks a period where significant speculation has 
been undertaken as to whether the Palestinian Authority would make such 
a unilateral declaration of statehood because of their dissatisfaction 
with the progress of the negotiations under the Oslo accords. I urge 
the Palestinian Authority not to take any such action on the grounds 
that is a matter for negotiation under the Oslo accords, and that it is 
something that ought to be decided between the parties to those 
accords--the State of Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
  I had occasion to discuss this matter personally with Chairman Yasser 
Arafat when he was in the United States a little over a month ago when 
I was scheduled to visit him in his hotel in Virginia, but I had the 
opportunity to confer with Chairman Arafat in my hideaway.
  For those who don't know what a hideaway is, it is a small room in 
the Capitol downstairs 2 minutes away from the Senate floor; small, but 
accommodating.
  On that occasion, Chairman Arafat and I discussed a variety of 
topics, including the question of whether the Palestinian Authority 
would undertake a unilateral declaration of statehood.
  I might say to the Chair in passing just a small personal note that 
when I accompanied President Clinton to Bethlehem in December of last 
year, I was struck by a large poster which had the overtones of a 
political poster. It

[[Page 7366]]

had a picture of the President on one side with his thumb up, and it 
had a picture of Chairman Arafat on the other side. It was a political 
poster. The picture had not been taken with President Clinton and 
Chairman Arafat together, but it had that symbolism for the occasion of 
the President's visit to Bethlehem.
  I took one as a souvenir. As we Senators sometimes do, I had it 
framed and it is hanging in my hideaway so that when Chairman Arafat 
came into the hideaway and saw the picture of himself and President 
Clinton, he was very pleased to see it on display and insisted on 
having a picture of himself taken in front of the picture of himself, 
which is not an unusual occurrence, whether you are a Palestinian with 
the Palestinian Authority, or from even the State of Kansas, or the 
State of Pennsylvania.
  In the course of our discussions, I urged Chairman Arafat not to make 
the unilateral declaration of statehood. He said to me that it was not 
up to himself alone, but it was up to the council.
  Then he made a comment that he questioned whether the Palestinian 
Authority had received sufficient credit for the change of its Charter 
eliminating the provisions in the PLO Charter calling for the 
destruction of Israel.
  In 1995, Senator Shelby and I proposed legislation, which was 
enacted, that conditioned U.S. payments to the Palestinian Authority on 
changing the Charter and on making the maximum effort against 
terrorists, so that when Chairman Arafat raised the question about 
whether there had been sufficient recognition given to the Palestinian 
Authority for changing the Charter, I told him that I thought he was 
probably right and that there had not been sufficient recognition given 
to the Palestinian Authority for that change.
  He then asked me if there would be recognition given to the 
Palestinian Authority if it resisted a unilateral declaration of 
statehood.
  I said to Chairman Arafat that I personally would go to the Senate 
floor on May 5 if a unilateral declaration of statehood was not made on 
May 4.
  Being a good negotiator, which we know Chairman Arafat is, he asked 
if I would put that in writing. I said that I would. On March 31 of 
this year, I wrote to the chairman as follows:

       Dear Mr. Chairman: Thank you very much for coming to my 
     Senate hideaway and for our very productive discussion on 
     March 23rd.
       Following up on that discussion, I urge that the 
     Palestinian Authority not make a unilateral declaration of 
     statehood on May 4th or on any subsequent date. The issue of 
     the Palestinian state is a matter for negotiation under the 
     terms of the Oslo Accords.
       I understand your position that this issue will not be 
     decided by you alone but will be submitted to the Palestinian 
     Authority Council.
       When I was asked at our meeting whether you and the 
     Palestinian Authority would receive credit for refraining 
     from the unilateral declaration of statehood, I replied that 
     I would go to the Senate floor on May 5th or as soon 
     thereafter as possible and compliment your action in not 
     unilaterally declaring a Palestinian state.
       I look forward to continuing discussions with you on the 
     important issues in the Mid-East peace process.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Arlen Specter.

  Mr. President, I decided to make this public comment to emphasize my 
view, and I believe the view shared by many, if not most, in the 
Congress of the United States that, in fact, the Palestinian Authority 
should not unilaterally declare statehood, but should leave it to 
negotiations under the Oslo accords.
  I thank the Chair.
  I yield the floor.
  Mr. THOMAS addressed the Chair.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The distinguished Senator from Wyoming is 
recognized.
  Mr. THOMAS. Thank you, Mr. President.
  Mr. President, I would like to talk for about 10 minutes as if in 
morning business, if I may.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator is recognized.
  Mr. THOMAS. I thank the Chair.

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