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OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS AND SAY
THOSE ARE OFF THE TABLE.
THEY MUST BE ON THE TABLE.
WE MUST FIGHT FOR AN AMERICA
AMERICANS.
THAT WORKS FOR WORKING
THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
THE
SENATOR FROM MAINE.
THANK YOU, MADAM
PRESIDENT.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I ASK UNANIMOUS
CONSENT THAT I BE PERMITTED TO
SPEAK AS IF IN MORNING BUSINESS.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
THANK YOU, MADAM
PRESIDENT.
MADAM PRESIDENT, LAST NIGHT THE
SENATE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED
SENATE RESOLUTION 185, A
RESOLUTION WHICH I INTRODUCED
WITH MY COLLEAGUE FROM MARYLAND,
SENATOR CARDIN.
OUR RESOLUTION SENDS A CLEAR
MESSAGE TO THE PALESTINIAN
AUTHORITY THAT ANY EFFORT TO
SEEK UNANIMOUS RECOGNITION AT
THE UNITED NATIONS WILL HAVE
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES FOR FUTURE
AMERICAN AID TO THE
PALESTINIANS.
MADAM PRESIDENT, THE UNITED
STATES PROVIDES NEARLY $550
MILLION EACH YEAR IN BILATERAL
ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIANS.
THIS AID IS NOT AN ENTITLEMENT,
PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN WE
HAVE AN UNSUSTAINABLE DEBT OF
SOME $14 TRILLION.
RATHER, THIS AID IS PREDICATED
ON A GOOD-FAITH COMMITMENT FROM
THE PALESTINIANS TO THE PEACE
PROCESS.
BY UNANIMOUSLY PASSING OUR
RESOLUTION LAST EVENING, THE
SENATE HAS SENT AN UNMISTAKABLE
MESSAGE THAT EFFORTS BY THE
PALESTINIANS TO SEEK INDEPENDENT
STATEHOOD, OUTSIDE OF DIRECT
NEGOTIATIONS WITH ISRAEL, DO NOT
REFLECT GOOD-FAITH ACTIONS
TOWARD PEACE.
NEGOTIATIONS HAD BEEN A
FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE OF THE
PEACE PROCESS.
IT WAS IN SEPTEMBER OF 1993 WHEN
YASSER ARAFAT COMMITTED TO
ISRAELI RABIN THAT OUTSTANDING
ISSUES WOULD BE RESOLVED THROUGH
NEGOTIATIONS.
THIS PRINCIPLE HAS ALSO
UNDERPINNED THE OSLO ACCORDS,
THE ROAD MAP FOR PEACE AND OTHER
MIDDLE EAST PEACE EFFORTS.
WE WANT TO SEE A TRUE AND
LASTING PEACE BETWEEN TWO
STATES, A DEMOCRATIC, JEWISH
STATE OF ISRAEL AND A VIABLE
DEMOCRATIC PALESTINIAN STATE.
SINCE 2002, IT HAS BEEN THE
POLICY OF OUR COUNTRY TO SUPPORT
A TWO-STATE SOLUTION TO THE
PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT.
BUT, MADAM PRESIDENT, THE ROAD
TO PEACE IS THROUGH
NEGOTIATIONS, NOT BY SUBVERTING
THEM AND MAKING A UNILATERAL
CASE BEFORE THE UNITED NATIONS.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE UNITED
NATIONS HAS A WELL-DOCUMENTED
RECORD OF BEING HIJACKED TO
CHASTISE ISRAEL, ONE OF
AMERICA'S CLOSEST ALLIES.
IN TOTAL, THE UNITED STATES,
UNDER PRESIDENTS OF BOTH
POLITICAL PARTIES, HAS BEEN
FORCED TO VETO 11 DIFFERENT U.N.
SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS
REGARDING THE
PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI CONFLICT.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I'M PLEASED TO
NOTE THAT THE CURRENT U.S.
AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N., SUSAN
RICE, HAS VETOED THE LATEST U.N.
RESOLUTION REGARDING
SETTLEMENTS, WHICH, LIKE
PALESTINIAN STATEHOOD, IS THE
KEY ISSUE IN THE PEACE PROCESS.
THE RESOLUTION PASSED BY THE
SENATE URGES THE PRESIDENT TO
MAINTAIN THIS STRONG POSITION
AND TO ANNOUNCE HIS UNWAVERING
INTENT TO VETO ANY RESOLUTION
THAT IS NOT THE RESULT OF DIRECT
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND
THE PALESTINIANS.
I WANT TO THANK SENATOR CARDIN
FOR WORKING WITH ME IN DRAFTING
THIS RESOLUTION.
WHEN SENATOR CARDIN AND I FIRST
DISCUSSED INTRODUCING THIS
MEASURE, THE PALESTINIAN
AUTHORITY HAD NOT YET AGREED TO
ESTABLISH A UNITY GOVERNMENT
WITH HAMAS, A TRULY DISASTROUS
DECISION.
THAT ACTION HAS MADE IT ALL THAT
MUCH MORE CRITICAL THAT THE
SENATE BE FIRMLY ON RECORD THAT
AID TO THE PALESTINIANS IS NOW
IN JEOPARDY.
IF HAMAS CONTINUES TO REJECT
NEGOTIATIONS OR PEACE WITH
ISRAEL, WE MUST SUSPEND THIS
ASSISTANCE.
DURING HIS ADDRESS BEFORE A
JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS IN
MARCH, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER
BINYAMIN NETANYAHU SUCCINCTLY
DESCRIBED THE HEART OF THE
MATTER.
HE SAID -- AND I QUOTE -- "THIS
CONFLICT HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
PALESTINIAN STATE.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ABOUT THE
EXISTENCE OF THE JEWISH STATE."
END QUOTE.
MADAM PRESIDENT, WE MUST
REMEMBER THOSE WORDS, AND WE
MUST ALSO NEVER FORGET THAT
HAMAS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE
DEATH OF MORE THAN 500 INNOCENT
CIVILIANS, INCLUDING TWO DOZEN
AMERICAN CITIZENS.
IT HAS BEEN DESIGNATED BY OUR
GOVERNMENT AS A FOREIGN
TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND AS A
ORGANIZATION.
SPECIALLY DESIGNATED TERRORIST
SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY
CLINTON HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT
THE UNITED STATES WILL NOT FUND
A PALESTINIAN GOVERNMENT THAT
INCLUDES HAMAS UNLESS AND UNTIL
HAMAS RENOUNCES VIOLENCE,
RECOGNIZES ISRAEL, AND AGREES TO
ABIDE BY THE PREVIOUS
OBLIGATIONS OF THE PALESTINIAN
AUTHORITY.
I URGE THE ADMINISTRATION TO
SUSPEND AID UNTIL SUCH TIME AS
HAMAS DEMONSTRATES A CLEAR
COMMITMENT TO FOLLOWING THESE
PRINCIPLES.
MADAM PRESIDENT, LET ME ALSO
THANK THE CHAIRMAN AND RANKING
MEMBER OF THE FOREIGN RELATIONS
COMMITTEE, SENATOR KERRY AND
SENATOR LUGAR, FOR DISCHARGING
THIS RESOLUTION SO THAT IT COULD
BE CONSIDERED AND PASSED BY THE
FULL SENATE BEFORE OUR 4th OF
JULY RECESS.
THE PASSAGE OF THIS RESOLUTION
TIMELY.
ACCORDING TO PRESS REPORTS, THE
PALESTINIAN DELEGATION HAS MADE
THE ROUNDS WITH NEARLY A DOZEN
DELEGATIONS IN NEW YORK THIS
WEEK TO BUILD SUPPORT FOR THEIR
BID TO HAVE A UNITED
NATIONS-RECOGNIZED STATE.
PALESTINIAN AMBASSADORS FROM
AROUND THE WORLD ARE MEETING IN
JULY TO DISCUSS THEIR PLANS IN
MADRID.
THEY HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO
CANCEL VACATIONS BECAUSE OF THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS COMING
PERIOD.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I WOULD SUBMIT
THAT IF THE PALESTINIANS WERE
ONLY WILLING TO INVEST AS MUCH
ENERGY INTO THE PEACE PROCESS
WITH ISRAEL AS THEY HAVE INTO
THIS ILL-ADVISED RUSH TO THE
UNITED NATIONS, WE COULD SEE THE
BEGINNINGS OF A GENUINE AND
LASTING PEACE IN THE REGION.
I DO NOT KNOW IF THE
PALESTINIANS WILL HAVE THE
SUPPORT AMONG THE 192 MEMBERS OF
THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
HOWEVER, THE PALESTINIANS MUST
UNDERSTAND THAT THE COST OF
SEEKING SUCH A VOTE WILL
SERIOUSLY JEOPARDIZE U.S.
FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND THAT
IS EVIDENT FROM THE 87 MEMBERS
OF THE SENATE WHO COSPONSORED
THE IMPORTANT RESOLUTION THAT
EVENING.
WAS UNANIMOUSLY PASSED LAST
THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I WOULD YIELD THE FLOOR.
UNDER
THE PREVIOUS ORDER, THE SENATE