U.S. CONGRESS STANDS BY ISRAEL; RESOLUTION CONDEMNS PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP FOR ENCOURAGING VIOLENCE AND CAUSING SENSELESS LOSS OF LIFE

(Washington, D.C.) -- Sending a strong message of solidarity with the State and people of Israel, the U.S. House of Representatives today passed a resolution, H.Con.Res.426, that condemns the Palestinian leadership for encouraging violence and doing little stop it; calls upon the Palestinian leadership to refrain from public incitement; urges the Palestinian leadership to vigorously use its security forces to stop all violence, show respect for all holy sites, and to settle all grievances through negotiations; commends successive U.S. governments on their continuing efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East; urges the Administration to use its veto power at the UN Security Council to ensure the Security Council does not again pass unbalanced resolutions addressing the uncontrolled violence in the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority; and calls on all parties to make all possible efforts to reinvigorate the peace process.

The bipartisan resolution passed, 365-30.

American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) President Tim Wuliger praised the efforts of Reps. Ben Gilman (R-NY), Chairman of the House International Relations Committee; Sam Gejdenson (D-CT), the committee's ranking Democrat; Dick Armey (R-TX), House Majority Leader; Dick Gephardt (D-MO), House Minority Leader; Jerry Nadler (D-NY); and Tom Reynolds (R-NY).

"To its credit, the House of Representatives has made it abundantly clear today that it is not fooled by biased UN resolutions and attempts by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to cast Israel as the villain," Wuliger said. In fact, the terrible violence that we have witnessed over the past few weeks has been carefully orchestrated by the PA in order to achieve in the street what it could not obtain through negotiations," he said.

Calling on Chairman Arafat to stop the violence, Wuliger said, "Congress has now made it clear that the violence option will not work. This is a fundamental violation of the entire peace process."

A complete text of the resolution follows:

WHERAS: The Arab-Israeli conflict must be resolved by peaceful negotiation; WHEREAS: Since 1993, Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in intensive negotiations over the future of the West Bank and Gaza;

WHEREAS: The United States, through its consistent support of Israel and the cause of peace, made the current peace process possible;

WHEREAS: The underlying basis of those negotiations was recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization by Israel in exchange for the renunciation of violence by the P.L.O. and its Chairman Yassir Arafat, first expressed in his letter to then-Israeli Prime Minister Rabin dated September 9, 1993, in which he stated: "The PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other acts of violence, and will assume responsibility over all PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators."

WHEREAS: As a result of those negotiations, the Palestinians now fully control over 40% of the West Bank and Gaza, with over 95% of the Palestinian population under the civil administration of the Palestinian Authority;

WHEREAS: As a result of peace negotiations, Israel turned over control of these areas to the Palestinian Authority control with the clear understanding and expectation that the Palestinians would maintain order and security there;

WHEREAS: The Palestinian Authority, with the assistance of Israel and the international community, created a strong police force--almost twice the number allowed under the Oslo accords--specifically to maintain public order;

WHEREAS: The Government of Israel made clear to the world its commitment to peace at Camp David where it expressed its readiness to take wide-ranging a nd painful steps in order to bring an end to the conflict, but these proposals were rejected by Chairman Arafat;

WHEREAS: Perceived provocations must only be addressed at the negotiating table;

WHEREAS: It is only through negotiations, and not through violence, that the Palestinians can hope to achieve their political aspirations;

WHEREAS: Even in the face of the desecration of Joseph's Tomb, a Jewish holy site in the West Bank, the Government of Israel has made it clear that it will withdraw forces from Palestinian areas if the Palestinian Authority maintains order in those areas;

WHEREAS: The Palestinian leadership not only did too little for far too long to control the violence but in fact encouraged it;

1. Expresses its solidarity with the State and people of Israel at this time of crisis;
2. Condemns the Palestinian leadership for encouraging the violence and doing so little for so long to stop it, resulting in the senseless loss of life;
3. 3. Calls upon the Palestinian leadership to refrain from any exhortations to public incitement, urges the Palestinian leadership to vigorously use its security forces to stop all violence, show respect for all holy sites, and to settle all grievances through negotiations;
4. Commends successive U.S. governments on their continuing efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
5. Urges the Administration to use its veto power at the UN Security Council to ensure the Security Council does not again pass unbalanced resolutions addressing the uncontrolled violence in the areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority;
6. Calls on all parties involved in the Middle East conflict to make all possible efforts to reinvigorate the peace process in order to prevent further senseless loss of life by all sides.