[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 23]
[Senate]
[Pages 31935-31936]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




  SENATE RESOLUTION 276--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING 
 FIGHTING TERROR AND EMBRACING EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN 
                                 PEACE

  Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Mr. 
Leahy, and Mr. Lautenberg) submitted the following resolution; which 
was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 276

       Whereas ending the violence and terror that have devastated 
     Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza since September 2000 is in 
     the vital interests of the United States, Israel, and the 
     Palestinians;
       Whereas ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict strengthens 
     extremists and opponents of peace throughout the region, 
     including those who seek to undermine efforts by the United 
     States to stabilize Iraq and those who want to see conflict 
     spread to other nations in the region;
       Whereas more than 3 years of violence, terror, and 
     escalating military engagement have demonstrated that 
     military means alone will not solve the Israeli-Palestinian 
     conflict;
       Whereas despite mutual mistrust, anger, and pain, 
     courageous and credible Israelis and Palestinians have come 
     together in a private capacity to develop serious model peace 
     initiatives, like the People's Voice Initiative, One Voice, 
     and the Geneva Accord;
       Whereas those initiatives, and other similar private 
     efforts, are founded on the determination of Israelis and 
     Palestinians to put an end to decades of confrontation and 
     conflict and to live in peaceful coexistence, mutual dignity, 
     and security, based on a just, lasting, and comprehensive 
     peace and achieving historic reconciliation;
       Whereas those initiatives demonstrate that both Israelis 
     and Palestinians have a partner for peace, that both peoples 
     want to end the current vicious stalemate, and that both 
     peoples are prepared to make necessary compromises in order 
     to achieve peace;
       Whereas each of the private initiatives addresses the 
     fundamental requirements of both peoples, including 
     preservation of the Jewish, democratic nature of Israel with 
     secure and defensible borders and the creation of a viable 
     Palestinian state; and
       Whereas such peace initiatives demonstrate that there are 
     solutions to the conflict and present precious opportunities 
     to end the violence and restart fruitful peace negotiations: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) applauds the courage and vision of Israelis and 
     Palestinians who are working together to conceive pragmatic, 
     serious plans for achieving peace;
       (2) calls on Israeli and Palestinian leaders to capitalize 
     on the opportunity offered by these peace initiatives; and
       (3) urges the President of the United States to encourage 
     and embrace all serious efforts to move away from violent 
     military stalemate toward achieving Israeli-Palestinian 
     peace.

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