Just days before Christmas, I was privileged to travel with four of my congressional colleagues to Israel and Jordan to meet with political leaders to discuss national security and terrorism, to encourage progress on the peace plan known as the "Road Map," and to learn from Israeli experience with homeland security. The heart of the trip was an inter-parliamentary exchange with members of the Knesset, the Israeli Parliament. I was chosen to participate because of my chairmanship of the Senate Governmental Affairs Committee, which has oversight jurisdiction for homeland security. Other participants were Senator Jon Kyl of Arizona, who chairs the Judiciary Committee's Terrorism Subcommittee, Representative Jane Harmon of California, who is the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, and Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona, who serves on the House International Relations Committee and the Judiciary Committee's Border Security Subcommittee.
We participated in a whirlwind of meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia, the Israeli Defense, Foreign, and Homeland Security Ministers, and the leaders of the political parties in the Knesset. Later in Jordan, we met with King Abdullah. Our discussions were very valuable in helping us to understand the challenges that these leaders face and why peace seems so elusive for this region.
In April 2003, the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations proposed a three-phase, three-year plan known as the "Road Map," intended to lead to a permanent peace between Israel and the Palestinians. President Bush has strongly advocated for the Road Map, which has as its goal a secure Israel and a Palestinian state.
But the journey to peace has stalled, despite the fervent wishes of so many people in so many nations. In a recent Wall Street Journal column, Dennis Ross, the Mideast negotiator under two American presidents, offered his assessment of why the plan has gotten off-track. Again and again, he wrote, Israel has come to the negotiating table only to find no one on the other side. Israel needs a reliable Palestinian partner. Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat has proved himself to be a faithless negotiator, to the detriment of many innocent people, not least of whom are his fellow Palestinians.
I found the new Palestinian Prime Minister, Ahmed Qureia, also known as Abu Ala, to be a strong, capable individual. Moreover, as a participate in the 1993 Oslo Accord negotiations, he has a promising background for advancing the cause of peace. Unfortunately, however, his hands appear to be tied by Mr. Arafat who has refused to give Prime Minister Qureia any control over the security forces within the Palestinian Authority. Without authority over the police and other security forces, the Prime Minister lacks the means to crack down on suicide bombers and other terrorists who attack Israeli citizens, turning Israeli buses, cafes, and synagogues into scenes of bloodshed and destruction. A cycle of violence ensues as Israel strikes back at terrorist camps within the Palestinian Authority.
In the quest for a lasting peace, one bright spot is King Abdullah. We met with the young, progressive King in Aqaba, Jordan, for an in-depth discussion of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, terrorism, and Iraq. Jordan is playing a key role in training Iraqis to be police officers to lessen the burden on our American troops. It is clear that the King is committed to building on the legacy of his father, King Hussein, in working for peace in the Middle East.
When visiting Israel, one sees the extraordinary promise as well as the daunting obstacles to peace. Jerusalem is a place of extraordinary vibrancy, beauty, and diversity. Near the Western Wall in the Old City, I saw Orthodox Jewish schoolboys playing with a soccer ball. Through a nearby gate, I glimpsed women in Muslim garb hurrying through an outdoor market. Around the corner were Roman Catholic nuns going to pray at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Another quarter of the Old City featured Armenian sites, shops, and restaurants. Religious pilgrims – Jews, Christians, and Muslims – have made the journey to Jerusalem for thousands of years.
When I visited the Western Wall, I followed the Jewish custom of sliding a prayer into a crevice in the stone. It was a prayer for peace.