Last night, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) reaffirmed his strong support for a bilateral, negotiated solution to the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians.  He spoke on the House floor during debate on H. Res 268 and stated the necessity for Palestinians to renounce terrorism, recognize Israel, and to return to negotiations with Israel in pursuit of two states coexisting peacefully.

The following is the text of Nadler’s statement on the floor:

“Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, which reaffirms support for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict reached through negotiation between the Palestinians and the Israelis and our opposition to any unilateral declaration of a Palestinian statehood or recognition of such a declaration by the United Nations.

“How can a dispute between two peoples ever be resolved by the unilateral decision of one?  The path to peace has been clear for many years and has been provided for by Security Council resolutions and by the 1993 Oslo Accords, signed by the Israelis and the Palestinians in 1993.  All these agreements provide for a settlement negotiated between the parties – a settlement that will result in two-states, a Jewish state of Israel and a state of Palestine.

“Unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is a way of avoiding negotiations on the tough issues – final borders, secure borders, Jerusalem, and the status of the Palestinian refugees of 1948 and their descendants.  It is an attempt by the Palestinians to delegitimize Israel, to impose indefensible borders unilaterally and to get their state while retaining the ability to keep fighting Israel and to use the refugees’ alleged ‘right of return’ to undermine the survival of Israel as a Jewish state.

“The Palestinian Authority should instead explain to its people that a Palestinian state can be achieved only by conceding the right of a Jewish state to live in peace and security next door.  And, for that to happen, there must be a negotiated agreement recognizing two states for two peoples.  Evading a negotiated agreement is a formula for a future war.

“I urge all Members to support this resolution, House Resolution 268.”

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