Relating to the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 152) relating to the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the resolution under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this resolution and yield myself such time as I might consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to join my good friend from Florida, the distinguished ranking member of our committee, in recognizing the 40th anniversary of one of the great military triumphs of the 20th century, the so-called Six Day War. Some of us remember and everybody has read about the attempt of the neighboring Arab countries to annihilate the State of Israel 40 years ago. In a brilliant preemptive move, the Israeli military moved ahead and destroyed the air forces and much of the military of the neighboring countries which were ready to destroy it.

The Six Day War transformed the shape of the Middle East and brought about the unification of the city of Jerusalem. Prior to the Six Day War, Jerusalem was closed to Israelis. Following the Six Day War, members of all faiths have had full and free access to the city of Jerusalem, and places of worship, Muslim, Christian, Jewish, are available to all individuals who seek an opportunity for peaceful prayer.

This body and the other body some years back called for the proper placement of the United States embassy in Israel's capital in Jerusalem. My good friend, the late Senator Patrick Moynihan, and I introduced this legislation which was strongly supported with significant majorities in both the House and the Senate. But administrations since that time have seen fit to postpone the move of our embassy to Jerusalem.

I earnestly hope that with this commemorative resolution we again call the attention of this administration to its promise, clear and unequivocal, to move the embassy to Israel's capital, Jerusalem. Our embassy is in the capital of every single country with which we maintain diplomatic relations and the capital is designated by the country concerned. It is long overdue that this administration honor the President's personal commitment to move the United States embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. I strongly urge all of my colleagues to support this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to my friend and colleague the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Davis).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 4 minutes to my good friend, the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Emanuel).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, before yielding back my time, I would like to make a couple of observations. As my colleagues pointed out, two of Israel's neighbors, Jordan and Egypt, have signed historic peace agreements with the State of Israel. And while this peace is not a full-fledged, blossoming, all-encompassing peace agreement, it certainly has meant the end of hostilities and the beginning of commercial, cultural, educational, touristic and diplomatic relations.

The time is long overdue for Israel to be able to reach an agreement with both Lebanon and Syria, as well as the Palestinian people, so this long-suffering area, where all of the people have suffered for far too long and far too severely, at long last can be a region of peace and reconciliation.

For this to come about, terrorism must end. You cannot make peace with people who are plotting daily to destroy your very existence. When Israel evacuated Gaza, it expected peace from that area. But, under Hamas, daily rocket attacks are unleashed on peaceful civilian Israeli border communities. Two women were killed just in recent weeks as a result of these monstrousattacks. Hezbollah in the north similarly is sworn to terrorism.

This must be put to an end if this important region is to join much of the rest of the world in moving ahead with economic progress, social progress, and the reconciliation of people.

I honestly hope that our resolution paying tribute to the victory 40 years ago and reminding ourselves of our formal commitment to move the U.S. Embassy to its proper location in Jerusalem will serve as a reminder that the time is long overdue for normalizing the situation in this region.

The end of terrorism, the move of our Embassy, will bring about a long prayed for and hoped for period of peace.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the chairman and colleagues for this resolution.

Mr. Speaker, my father is from Israel, and every summer I spent a good portion of my childhood in Israel, 2 days after the 1967 war, every summer for 5 years, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1973, every summer going to Israel. I remember that moment, since the bulk of my childhood was spent there.

The Six Day War was obviously not only an amazing military accomplishment, a lot of people think today in retrospect that it is a pyrrhic victory, that things would have been so much easier for Israel had that victory not occurred; that David became Goliath.

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of myths that I would like to address to the chairman, and also to the leader on the Republican side.

One is it was not such a peaceful time pre the 1967 war. There were a lot of attacks on Israel because of indefensible boundaries. In fact, the peace with Jordan and Egypt could not have happened if it weren't for the 1967 war. There was no possibility, given the pan-Arabism that existed under Nasser, for any peace to have happened.

In fact, one has to look at the 1967 war, that it created possibilities, as did the 1973 war, for peace to occur, and every nation that has decided to make peace with Israel, Egypt and Jordan, has had peace.

The war in 1967, because of the changes to the boundaries to the south, to the immediate east and to the north, redefined Israel's security. Once those nations came to terms with Israel's status, which is what the 1967 war accomplished, they accomplished and received peace, and land-for-peace has been at the premise of America's foreign policy, Israel's foreign policy, and was possible because of the outcome and the results strategically on the ground and in the environment because of 1967.

People remember the military accomplishment which was unique and stands out in the 20th century, but it also created an environment that allowed peace to happen, at least with the two countries that have chosen the road of peace with Israel.

I would like to pick up on my colleague from California and her comments about the next 40 years. The next 40 years needs to be a period of time where America, and this may be a little bit of a criticism here, we were always and always will be the indispensable leader in that region. The moment we walk away from that role the parties lose interest in discussing among themselves.

I would hope that immediately the President would again, and I echo what my colleague from California said, nominate somebody to be a Middle East envoy, to again create a dialogue between the Israelis and Palestinians, to find what the Jordanians and Egyptians have found with the Israelis, peace, based on the premise of land for peace.

But everybody should not only look at the military peace of the 1967 war, but it created an opportunity that today two countries that prior to that had fought in the 1967 war against Israel now recognize Israel and have economic, cultural and other types of trade, and that is only due to what happened in 1967.

To those who think 1967 was a pyrrhic victory, wasted, we wouldn't have in fact the Israeli-Jordanian agreement

or the Israeli-Egyptian agreement if it weren't for the victories that happened there. There were also other things that happened to Israel.

One does hope though that as we look forward to trying to find resolution and look at the region as a whole, everybody has always described that Israel and the Arab conflict was at the heart of the Mideast. That is not at the heart. It is a problem. It needs to be resolved.

But the larger problem of the greater Gulf area is not one of the Israeli-Palestinian problem, although it is a significant problem; it is the radical philosophy that is dominating the young in the Arab world that we need to help resolve, because it is leading and feeding part of the terrorism, and that is the larger conflict. The Palestinian-Israeli problem is a problem, but it is not at the heart of the conflict in that region.

Mr. Speaker, I want to compliment our two leaders today, the chairman and the leader on the Republican side, for this resolution, for recognizing an historic moment that in fact without which we would not see the peace between Israel and Jordan and Israel and Egypt.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to address H. Con. Res. 152, recognizing the 40th anniversary of Israel's victory in the Six-Day War. This resolution will pass by a large majority, but I fear that it will become the latest in a series of missed opportunities for this body to support a viable peace process in the Middle East.

This resolution has several positive features. It is appropriate to commemorate Israel's victory in the Six-Day War. Its overwhelming military victory helped to secure Israel's continuing existence as a sovereign nation, something that was very much in doubt on the eve of the conflict.

I particularly support the third clause of the resolution, which commends Egypt and Jordan for their bold and brave decisions to reach peace with Israel. Their leadership has been a critical, if often underappreciated, guarantor of Israel's security and survival, and I continue to hope that other nations in the region will follow their lead.

It is also important to affirm that Jerusalem is the rightful capital of Israel, while acknowledging that the Palestinian people also have a

claim to Jerusalem as a capital and as a sacred city.

Nevertheless, I am concerned that this resolution, while calling for peace negotiations, actually undermines U.S. efforts to secure the trust of all sides in the search for peace. The resolution pursues an obsolete notion, put forth as if the last decade of peace negotiations simply had not occurred.

The idea of an undivided Jerusalem under sole Israeli sovereignty has not been part of any serious peace proposal--proffered by Israelis, Palestinians, or the international community--in the last several years. Israel's 2000 Camp David proposal and the Clinton compromise proposal, the 2002 Road Map for Middle East Peace, the 2003 Geneva Initiative, the 2003 ``People's Voice'' Initiative offered by Ami Ayalon and Sari Nuseibeh: none of these plans envision an undivided Jerusalem under sole Israeli sovereignty.

And this idea is not just outdated in theory; it fails to reflect the present reality in Jerusalem. Israel's security barrier is rapidly creating a physical barrier between already segregated neighborhoods of East and West Jerusalem.

Recognizing Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel under sole Israeli sovereignty does not help to bring peace to Jerusalem or Israel, nor does it help achieve the vision the resolution espouses. In fact, the only thing likely to fully guarantee Jerusalem as the permanent capital of Israel is the official, international recognition of Israel's neighbors and the entire international community--and this recognition is unlikely so long as Palestinian claims to their own capital and sacred city are denied.

As Christians, Jews, and Muslims, we can best honor our holy city by helping it become a model of peace, unity, and reconciliation. Doing so requires sustained, courageous, and open-minded efforts to promote negotiations, stand against violence, and find solutions. Congress and our Administration must play a much more effective role, returning our nation to active and sustained engagement in seeking peace.

I just returned from a brief visit to Jerusalem, now divided, threatened, strained by the anxiety of constant conflict. It is my great hope to one day visit a revitalized Jerusalem, undivided and shared as the capital of Israel and an independent Palestinian state, where Jews, Muslims, and Christians live together in peace and mutually honor the sites sacred to all of us. I can only wish that the resolution before us more adequately expressed this aspiration.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H. Con. Res. 152, celebrating the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the city of Jerusalem.

The city of Jerusalem is a unique place in the world, steeped in history and faith, the eternal heart of three major world religions. Jerusalem has suffered war and conquest repeatedly throughout the ages, but I have faith that Jerusalem will never be fractured again.

Jews, Muslims, and Christians all find a spiritual home in Jerusalem, and it is essential that Jerusalem remain open to worshippers of all faiths. Unfortunately, for too many years of its history, access to the holy sites in Jerusalem was denied to some. But for the last 40 years, Israel has guaranteed access to all faiths, and the world community has been able to visit Jerusalem freely. I applaud Israel for this principled and fair policy, which has surely not always been easy to maintain. It is an important affirmation of Israel's humane and democratic values that a country which finds itself under frequent attack would maintain a commitment to the openness of a site of such international importance as Jerusalem.

Unfortunately, the great emotion people feel about the holy city of Jerusalem has frequently found a false outlet in violence against others. It is a great sadness to me, and a great injustice against the history and sanctity of Jerusalem, that the city has been a flashpoint for so much violence in my lifetime.

I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that in the past several years the Middle East peace process has been derailed from the promising moments during the Clinton presidency. President Clinton was as deeply involved, at a personal as well as a political level, with the quest to find a permanent solution to the problems of the region as any world leader has ever been. While he was not quite able to attain the overarching peace agreement that he had worked so hard to achieve, President Clinton recognized that finding a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian issue needed to be a foreign policy priority of the United States.

Since President Clinton left office, the involvement of the United States in the Middle East peace process has been scattered, sporadic, and ineffectual. Instead of redoubling our efforts to find peace, the United States launched a disastrous war in Iraq. We have sparked a bloody civil war in that country, inflamed Islamic fundamentalism throughout the Middle East, empowered the dangerous regime in Iran, ignored the frustrations and economic despair of the Palestinians, and damaged the immediate security of our great ally in the region--Israel.

On the 40th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem, I view that city as a symbol of hope in the bleak landscape of the Middle East. Through Israel's commitment to the openness of Jerusalem, worshippers of all faiths can visit the holy Old City and see the beauty of its timeless stone buildings and ancient walls.

The United States has always stood steadfast with its close ally Israel, and we must never cease doing so. We must recommit ourselves to the peace process in the Middle East, and lead the international community in forging a path to reconciliation and coexistence. We must dedicate ourselves to bringing about a new peaceful history in this divisive region, so that future generations may continue to find spiritual renewal in Jerusalem.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Con. Res. 152, which recognizes the 40th anniversary of the reunification of the City of Jerusalem.

This week Israel is recognizing the 40th anniversary of the Six-Day War. On June 7, 1967, Israel reunified the city of Jerusalem, opening it to worshippers of all nationalities and religions.

On that day Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Dayan declared: ``This morning, the Israel Defense Forces liberated Jerusalem. We have united Jerusalem, the divided capital of Israel. We have returned to the holiest of our holy places, never to part from it again. To our Arab neighbors we extend, also at this hour--and with added emphasis at this hour--our hand in peace. And to our Christian and Muslim fellow citizens, we solemnly promise full religious freedom and rights. We did not come to Jerusalem for the sake of other peoples' holy places, and not to interfere with the adherents of other faiths, but in order to safeguard its entirety, and to live there together with others, in unity.''

Mr. Speaker, even 40 years after Israel's overwhelming victory in the June 1967 War--a war fought to preserve Israel's very existence in the face of enemies determined to destroy it--Israel's stability is still threatened. At this critical time in Israel's history we must focus on what is of the utmost importance--furthering the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Congress must fully analyze and consider the Arab League Peace Initiative which offers Israel full normalization of relations with the Arab world and is widely viewed in Israel and around the world as an important opportunity and a real basis for negotiations that could end the Israeli-Arab conflict. While not perfect, this plan sets the table for fruitful negotiations and a final resolution of the conflict.

We must also consider negotiations with Syria. If successful, such negotiations could have significant positive impact with respect to limiting Iran's sphere of influence, calming the situation in Lebanon, weakening the support network for Hamas and Hezbollah, and delivering real security to Israel on its northern border.

We must call on President Bush to invest in serious, sustained, and effective efforts to improve the security situation on the ground today and re-establish a viable peace process that can deliver peace and security to Israel, and international acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

Mr. Speaker, today I call on all of my colleagues to support H. Con. Res. 152, and I pledge to continue to work to maintain Jerusalem as Israel's indivisible capitol and to promote the policy of the United States to support a peaceful, two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.