[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 4]
[House]
[Pages 5364-5366]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       REGARDING THE MIDDLE EAST

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from Texas (Ms. Jackson-Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, before I make my formal 
remarks, let me indicate that today I filed H.R. 1336, to give 
citizenship to the held Chinese citizen, legal resident of the United 
States, professor in the United States, mother of a 5-year-old and now 
husband to a United States citizen held in China for now almost 2 
months.
  I am very pleased that this private citizenship bill is cosponsored 
by myself, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Lantos), the gentlewoman from California (Ms. 
Millender-McDonald), the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), the 
gentlewoman from Illinois (Ms. Schakowsky), the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Lee), the gentleman from Rhode Island (Mr. Kennedy), 
and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wolf).
  It is a tragedy when families are separated. If we can do anything to 
enhance the role of the United States of America to promote peace and 
democracy and to ease the pain of a family that has now been separated, 
distressed

[[Page 5365]]

and in great frustration, this House should move on this legislation 
immediately. I call on my colleagues to sign this legislation to create 
this citizenship for this imprisoned member of this country and as well 
to provide solace to her family, her husband and her child.
  Mr. Speaker, however, I rise today to speak on the Mideast conflict. 
Peace is never easy to broker. Prime Minister Sharon of Israel has a 
formidable task ahead of him. We need to forge ahead as an 
international community to help bring further stability to the Middle 
East. As Winston Churchill once said, ``We shall not escape our dangers 
by recoiling from them.''
  Since the Middle East conflict began anew last fall, 457 people have 
been killed, including 375 Palestinians, 63 Israeli Jews, and 19 
others. With both sides accusing each other of unjustified attacks, 
there sometimes appears to be no end in sight for the terror affecting 
the children of the Middle East. It remains a fact, Mr. Speaker, that 
nongovernmental organizations like Save the Children have begun 
distribution of emergency medical supplies to five hospitals in the 
territories. Save the Children has worked to bring medical supplies to 
the Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and the Medical 
Services, the operation of ambulance services with the Palestinian Red 
Crescent, the rehabilitation of schools and teacher training so that 
children have a creative, productive way to channel their energies. 
This is necessary to respond quickly to the special needs of children 
caught in the current uprising. And America must do more to assist such 
ongoing efforts and more to assist in the brokering of peace.
  Whatever happens, there can be little doubt that relations between 
Israelis and Palestinians will have a profound impact on United States 
strategic interests in the Middle East. And because of that, the United 
States must remain an interested party in the region. It is absolutely 
imperative.
  As the President of Egypt now visits America, the Bush administration 
must work to explore new opportunities for peace and reconciliation in 
the Middle East. We cannot recoil, we cannot be a turtle, we cannot 
stick our heads in the sand. America must become more engaged regarding 
negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Unfortunately, 
America has been silent since the departure of the former 
administration concerning a dangerous situation that cannot be resolved 
without its constructive participation.

                              {time}  1930

  Am I suggesting that we engage in war, Mr. Speaker? No, I am not. I 
am simply asking us to help.
  Too many children stand to lose their lives and stand to lose without 
our help. I believe that it is critical that both parties need to make 
every effort to end the current cycle of provocation and reaction. Each 
side bears a special responsibility to seek an end for the riots, the 
terror, the bombings and the shootings. There must be a time-out on 
violence before the situation degenerates into war that we cannot stop.
  We can all remember the images from last fall of the Palestinian 
child hiding behind his father caught in the crossfire shot to death; 
and then the images a few days later, the pictures of an Israeli 
soldier who was beaten while in custody and thrown out of a second 
floor window of a police station to be beaten to death by the mob 
below. We must stop this travesty.
  It is easy to understand how passions can run high and frustration 
and fear can drive violence, but it is also easy to see how these 
feelings, even these feelings that are based in legitimate aspiration, 
can get out of control and lead to ever-deeper and never-ending cycles 
of violence. When will it end?
  The children, Israeli and Palestinians, are the targets of increasing 
hatred that they simply do not understand. We must have respect, Mr. 
Speaker, for the peace and the necessity of moving forward.
  In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, let me just say that it is important to 
follow the words of Robert F. Kennedy: ``It is when expectations 
replace submission, when despair is touched with the awareness of 
possibility, that the forces of human desire and the passion for 
justice are unloosed.''
  We must unloose it in the Mideast. We must fight for peace.
  Mr. Speaker, peace is never easy to broker. Prime Minister Sharon of 
Israel has a formidable task ahead of him, and we need to forge ahead 
as an international community to help bring further stability to the 
Middle East. As Winston Churchill once said, ``We shall not escape our 
dangers by recoiling from them.''
  Since the Mideast conflict began last fall, 457 people have been 
killed, including 375 Palestinians, 63 Israeli Jews and 19 others. With 
both sides accusing each other of unjustified attacks, there sometimes 
appears to be no end in sight for the terror affecting the children of 
the Middle East. It remains a fact, Mr. Speaker, that nongovernmental 
organizations like Save the Children have begun distribution of 
emergency medical supplies to five hospitals in the territories. Save 
the Children has worked to bring medical supplies for the Union of 
Palestinian Medical Relief Committees and the Medical Services, the 
operation of ambulance services with the Palestinian Red Crescent, the 
rehabilitation of schools and teacher training so children have 
creative, productive ways to channel their energies. This is necessary 
to respond quickly to the special needs of children caught in the 
current uprising, and America must do more to assist such ongoing 
efforts.
  Whatever happens, there can be little doubt that relations between 
Israelis and Palestinians will have a profound impact on United States 
strategic interests in the Middle East. And because of that, the United 
States must remain an interested party in the region.
  As President Hosni Mubarak now visits America from Egypt, the Bush 
administration must work to explore new opportunities for peace and 
reconciliation in the Middle East. America must become more engaged 
regarding negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. 
Unfortunately, America has been silent since the departure of the 
former administration concerning a dangerous situation that cannot be 
resolved without its constructive participation. Too many children 
stand to lose without our help, Mr. Speaker.
  I believe that it is critical that both parties need to make every 
effort to end the current cycle of provocation and reaction. Each side 
bears a special responsibility to seek an end to the riots, the terror, 
the bombings, and the shootings. There must be a ``time out'' on 
violence before the situation degenerates further into war. We can all 
remember the images, from last fall, of the Palestinian child hiding 
behind his father, caught in the cross-fire, shot to death, and then 
the images, a few days later, the pictures of the Israeli soldier who 
was beaten while in custody and thrown out of a second floor window of 
the police station, to be beaten to death by the mob below.
  It is easy to understand how passions can run high, and frustration 
and fear can drive violence. But it is also easy to see how these 
feelings--even these feelings, that are based in legitimate 
aspiration--can get out of control and lead to ever deeper, and never-
ending, cycles of violence. The children, especially the young, are 
targets of increasing hatred that they simply do not understand.
  If both Israel and the Palestinians can make progress in curbing or 
ending the violence, the United States can play an important role in 
helping to shape intermediate confidence-building measures between 
Israel and the Palestinians. The current environment makes a 
comprehensive agreement very difficult indeed, but proximity gives the 
Israelis and the Palestinians no choice but to learn to live together. 
The alternative is clearly war.
  The children of Israel and the Palestinian Authority are not 
expendable; they are the casualties of intolerable violence. The United 
States must continue to work together with both Israel and the 
Palestinian Authority to enhance security in the region.
  America can play a decisive role in fostering peace and stability in 
the Middle East. The Bush administration must respond more effectively 
in the peace process. We should not take sides in this lengthy 
conflict. However, the United States bears an unquestionable obligation 
to maintain a constructive role in the Middle East peace process.
  The larger question of a lasting peace in the region is, of course, 
predicated on facilitating continued negotiations with the 
Palestinians. I will always be a strong supporter of the Middle east 
peace process because we can never stop trying. We struggle for peace, 
Mr. Speaker, because the current wave of violence is unacceptable. It 
undermines the very basis for peace, the notion that Palestinians and 
Israelis can trust each other and live together.

[[Page 5366]]

  Last year, we edged a little closer to establishing a permanent 
blueprint for peace between the Israelis and Palestinians at Wye River. 
While a peace agreement did not come to fruition, the Israelis and 
Palestinians conducted an unprecedented level of negotiations in the 
pursuit of a permanent peace. They discussed issues and exchanged 
viewpoints on pivotal matters of dire meaning to the Israeli people and 
the Palestinian people.
  Mr. Speaker, we don't really know when all parties to this ongoing 
conflict will find everlasting peace and reconciliation. We do know, 
however, that Chairman Yasser Arafat of the Palestinian Liberation 
Organization and Prime Minister Sharon of Israel have an acute sense of 
the high stakes involved.
  Mr. Speaker, let me close with an admonition by Robert F. Kennedy in 
a 1966 speech made at the University of California. ``Men without hope, 
resigned to despair and oppression, do not have to make revolutions. It 
is when expectations replaces submission, when despair is touched with 
the awareness of possibility, that the forces of human desire and the 
passion for justice are unloosed.'' The recent violence in the Middle 
East only underscores the need to get the peace process back on track. 
We must do so expeditiously for the sake of the children.

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