David Obey: “I do not seek to pursue an evenhanded resolution. Mr. Arafat by his conduct does not deserve it. But this resolution…”

“I do not seek to pursue an evenhanded resolution. Mr. Arafat by his conduct does not deserve it. But this resolution makes all of its requests of the Palestinians, and none of Israel. It says nothing about the obligation of both parties under Resolution 242. It says nothing about the needs of Israel in the context of a final settlement to withdraw from settlements. It says nothing about the willingness to support a Palestinian state in the context of a full settlement. It therefore, in my view, makes it harder for us to be seen as a fair-minded broker, and it makes it more difficult for the administration to persuade the Arab world to take the actions they must take to achieve peace; and that in the end hurts Israel, it does not help it. I am going to ask people to vote ``no'' on the previous question so I can offer an alternative, the text of H. Res. 405, which makes clear our support for Israel in a more constructive way. I fully support Israel's right to defend itself, but I do not support Mr. Sharon's efforts to hang onto the settlements and crush legitimate Palestinian nationalism.”