Dianne Feinstein: “the Senator from Kentucky and I joined together in this legislation because we believe that if the violence between the…”

“the Senator from Kentucky and I joined together in this legislation because we believe that if the violence between the Palestinians and Israel is to end and the peace process is to gain any momentum, the Palestinian leadership must show it can muster the political will that is necessary to meet the commitments they made at Oslo. Most people, I think, don't know what the Oslo accords were. In fact, the Oslo accords were letters that were sent between the Palestinian and Israeli leadership in 1993. Those letters became the Oslo accords. I want to indicate what the Palestinians, over the signature of their chairman, Mr. Arafat, said they would do on September 9, 1993: The PLO recognizes the right of the State of Israel to exist in peace and security. The PLO accepts United Nations Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. The PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process, and to a peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations. These are not my words, these are the words of Chairman Arafat. It goes on: The PLO considers that the signing of the Declaration of Principles constitutes a historic event, inaugurating a new epoch of peaceful coexistence, free from violence and all other acts which endanger peace and stability.”