U.S. CONGRESS STANDS BY ISRAEL; RESOLUTION CONDEMNS PALESTINIAN LEADERSHIP FOR ENCOURAGING VIOLENCE AND CAUSING SENSELESS LOSS OF LIFE
Oct.28.2000
(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;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT: The House of Representatives:
- Expresses its solidarity with the State and people of Israel at this time
of crisis;
- 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. 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;
- 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;
- 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.
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