Dick Lugar: “I rise to join Senator Feinstein and other Members from both sides of the aisle to introduce the Unilateral Palestinian…”

“I rise to join Senator Feinstein and other Members from both sides of the aisle to introduce the Unilateral Palestinian Statehood Disapproval Act of 2000. I am pleased to be an original co-sponsor of this legislation. At the conclusion of the July round of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority at Camp David, Prime Minister Barak and Chairman Arafat issued a statement agreeing on the importance of "avoiding unilateral action that prejudices the outcome of negotiations." They both acknowledged that progress is best assured if both parties refrain from unilateral actions that would have the effect of undermining the peace process. After the Camp David talks ended, Chairman Arafat announced that he intended to unilaterally declare an independent Palestinian state by September 13 if negotiations with Israel did not conclude in a satisfactory manner by then. Such a statement is harmful to the negotiations and would be disastrous to the peace process. It is important for the Congress to be heard on this issue. A unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is objectionable and would create an unnecessary rupture in our ability to work with the Palestinian Authority to advance the peace process. It is my hope that Chairman Arafat will listen to the voices of other leaders in the Arab world, and elsewhere, which have counseled caution and urged him to refrain from these unilateral steps toward statehood.”