April 09, 2002
The Palestinians and the Israelis both have a right to have a state, safety, and security; none of these goals can be achieved with a military solution. I believe sincerely that the search for a negotiated solution to this political and security crisis is more critical than it has ever been.
The return to the peace process must include an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories as called for in United Nations Resolution 1402. The suicide bombings must stop: the path to a just peace cannot be found through violence. The continuation of war – with its cruel victimization of children and other innocent victims on both sides – will bring security to none.
Urgent discussions and negotiations should begin to search for the threads within the Tenet and Mitchell plans and the Saudi proposal to find a possible solution to this current crisis and the outstanding issues.
The key now is for a sustained U.S. engagement as an honest broker and a sustained commitment from all parties to the quest for peace. I urge all parties to take advantage of Secretary of State Powell’s visit to the region to work towards mutual peace, in which Israel’s security and sovereignty exist alongside an independent Palestine.
The future of Israeli and Palestinian children is at stake. They should be promised a future that is absent of fear and violence, a future filled with hope and optimism.
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Congresswoman Barbara Lee Calls for Israel to Withdraw from the Palestinian Territories and for a Return to a Negotiated Peace Process
The current crisis in the Middle East has spiraled out of the control of both the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli government. Each day, the violence claims more victims and creates deeper hatred and anguish.The Palestinians and the Israelis both have a right to have a state, safety, and security; none of these goals can be achieved with a military solution. I believe sincerely that the search for a negotiated solution to this political and security crisis is more critical than it has ever been.
The return to the peace process must include an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories as called for in United Nations Resolution 1402. The suicide bombings must stop: the path to a just peace cannot be found through violence. The continuation of war – with its cruel victimization of children and other innocent victims on both sides – will bring security to none.
Urgent discussions and negotiations should begin to search for the threads within the Tenet and Mitchell plans and the Saudi proposal to find a possible solution to this current crisis and the outstanding issues.
The key now is for a sustained U.S. engagement as an honest broker and a sustained commitment from all parties to the quest for peace. I urge all parties to take advantage of Secretary of State Powell’s visit to the region to work towards mutual peace, in which Israel’s security and sovereignty exist alongside an independent Palestine.
The future of Israeli and Palestinian children is at stake. They should be promised a future that is absent of fear and violence, a future filled with hope and optimism.
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