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Lawmakers Endorse Israel's Offensive Votes Embrace Incursions as Self-Defense By Juliet Eilperin and Helen Dewar Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, May 3, 2002 -"Those suicide bombers striking innocent Israelis in supermarkets, buses and public squares . . . are cut from the same cloth of evil as the terrorists who turned airplanes into weapons and struck the United States on Sept. 11." In a symbolic but strong expression of support for Israel, the House and Senate yesterday endorsed its military campaign to dismantle "the terrorist infrastructure" in the occupied territories despite earlier administration warnings that the vote could interfere in Middle East peace efforts. The two chambers approved slightly different resolutions, with the House explicitly attacking Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat in contrast to the Senate's more general condemnation of Palestinian suicide bombings. But both measures sent a clear signal that Congress embraces Israel's incursions into the West Bank as an act of self-defense. Alluding to U.S. reactions to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in New York and the Pentagon, the resolutions described Israel's policies as "a common struggle against terrorism." "Israel has been under siege from a systematic and deliberate campaign of suicide-homicide attacks by terrorists," said Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman (D-Conn.), chief sponsor of the Senate resolution. "Those suicide bombers striking innocent Israelis in supermarkets, buses and public squares . . . are cut from the same cloth of evil as the terrorists who turned airplanes into weapons and struck the United States on Sept. 11." The fact that Republicans as well as Democrats were willing to ignore White House calls for restraint shows the domestic political challenges Bush faces in trying to broker a resolution to the Middle East crisis. Pro-Israel sentiment runs so high in the House that two of the top GOP leaders have indicated they reject the peace process altogether. The White House -- which had tried in vain to keep the resolutions from coming to a vote this week -- suggested yesterday that the timing was better now than it would have been before the standoff at Arafat's Ramallah headquarters was resolved. But White House spokesman Ari Fleischer also emphasized that the resolutions are non-binding and require neither the president's approval nor veto. "Congress has a right to speak out," Fleischer said. "Having said that, the president also knows that Congress is cognizant of the fact that no foreign policy can have 535 different secretaries of state." Still, critics said the votes could disrupt a delicate diplomatic situation in which U.S. officials are trying to enlist Arab allies in efforts to restart negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. "Yes, Israel is our ally," said Rep. Nick J. Rahall II (D-W.Va.). "But, by golly, we need other allies in the region as well. What about the moderate Arab allies that want to help us, to whom we only cast further embarrassment today by the passage of these one-sided resolutions?" Most lawmakers paid Rahall little heed. The Senate resolution passed 94 to 2, while the House approved its version 352 to 21, with 29 members voting present. The House measure, authored by Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Rep. Tom Lantos (D-Calif.), condemns the Palestinian leadership for "ongoing support of terror" and questions whether Arafat is "a viable partner for peace." But in a concession to the White House, the resolution now states that it "encourages the international community to take action to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people." Lieberman's measure adopted a milder tone, calling on the Palestinian Authority to "dismantle the terrorist infrastructure" in areas it controls. It also urges Arab states to condemn all forms of terrorism and "act in concert with the United States to stop the violence" and seek a permanent peace in the Middle East. The House engaged in a spirited and occasionally emotional debate throughout the afternoon, with most lawmakers arguing it no longer made sense to remain neutral in the Middle East conflict. "We should not be balanced between those who target civilians for death and those seeking to protect themselves from terror," said Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.). DeLay, who initially postponed offering his resolution at the administration's request, voiced similar skepticism. "The United States cannot be a broker between one party that wants peace and the other party that wants terrorism," he said. "It cannot succeed." In an interview Wednesday night on "Hardball With Chris Matthews," Majority Leader Richard K. Armey (R-Tex.) said he would be "content to have Israel grab the entire West Bank," and suggested the Palestinians should have their own state in one of the "many Arab nations that have many hundreds of thousands of acres of land." But several House members said the United States should preserve its neutrality. "Only we can bring hope to this region," said Rep. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.). In the Senate's more measured three-hour debate on its resolution, sponsored jointly by Lieberman and Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.), a few members questioned whether it went too far in embracing Israel's actions -- or not far enough in criticizing Palestinian leaders. But most embraced it without major qualifications. Sens. Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.) and Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), the only senators to vote against the resolution, suggested it was not sufficiently even-handed in criticizing violence. Several Republicans disagreed with the administration, pointedly but politely, over whether congressional resolutions on the Middle East were appropriate. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said the administration had legitimate concerns about the possible impact on diplomacy, but concluded that Congress had a right and responsibility to speak out. He warned Arab countries that "you may see a stronger resolution" from the Senate if they do not condemn suicide bombings. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! 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