Nita Lowey: “At this difficult hour we stand in solidarity with the people of Israel and reaffirm our commitment to their peace and…”

“At this difficult hour we stand in solidarity with the people of Israel and reaffirm our commitment to their peace and security. We unequivocally condemn the reign of terror that has forever silenced the voices of so many of our children. We grieve for the victims--and we pray that no Israeli mother will have to bury a son or a daughter ever again. We remember the words of Yitzhak Rabin and say: 'Enough of blood and tears. Enough.' The terrible events of the last weeks have profoundly shaken us all. We yearn so desperately for peace--yet today we are at war--at war against terror--at war against the enemies of peace. There can be no noncombatants in this battle. Israel has declared war on Hamas. Yasser Arafat must now become a full partner in this struggle. Nothing less is acceptable. There must be no more speeches in Arabic extolling the martyrs--no more terrorists arrested during the day and released at night. The covenant calling for Israel's destruction must be revoked--compliance with the declaration of principles must be total. This is Yasser Arafat's moment of truth-- he must prove in word and deed that he is fully committed to peace. Either he is our ally in the war against terror--or he is our enemy. This week President Clinton will travel to Egypt to participate in a historic world summit against terrorism. The President's message will be simple and clear: There can be no compromise with terror. The days of talk are over--it is time for action.”