David Price: “I intend to vote for H. Con. Res. 460, a resolution regarding Israel's security and the principles of Middle East peace.…”

“I intend to vote for H. Con. Res. 460, a resolution regarding Israel's security and the principles of Middle East peace. I welcome this opportunity to explain my reasoning to my colleagues. The resolution, which was formulated with more than the usual bipartisan consultation, affirms the goal of Israeli and Palestinian states "living side by side in peace and security." It acknowledges, as President Clinton did in the plan he offered at Taba, that the adjustment of boundaries must take into account the existence of Israeli population centers. But it makes clear that final boundaries would be subject to Israeli-Palestinian negotiation. Presumably this would leave open the consideration of land swaps and the contiguity of Palestinian territory, as did the Taba proposal. The resolution has some curious and unfortunate omissions. There is no specific reference to settlement evacuation, the focus of the plan by Prime Minister Sharon, for which the United States is offering support. There is no mention of the Road Map, our country's primary current diplomatic initiative, very much in need of invigoration. In a more positive omission, the resolution declines to endorse Israeli construction of a "security" fence. On balance, the resolution offers a timely endorsement of the proposed evacuation of all settlements in Gaza and some settlements in the West Bank. This proposal is under attack from the right wing of the Prime Minister's own party.”