The National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC), convened in plenary session for the first time since the tragic assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, mourns the loss of this unique leader who, for half a century, made enormous contributions to the State of Israel and to the Jewish people. We rededicate ourselves to the cause for which the late Prime Minister sacrificed his life -- peace with security for the Israeli nation. We reaffirm our continued strong support of the peace process, which already has yielded dramatic achievements and holds the promise of a comprehensive normalization of relations between Israel and its neighbors. We pledge to work cooperatively with the government of Israel in its ongoing pursuit of peace.

We welcome the recent significant progress made in the Israel-Palestinian track, particularly the election several weeks ago of both a Palestinian Council and Chairman (Ra'ees) of its Executive Authority. We urge Chairman Yasser Arafat and the other newly-elected Palestinian officials to use their mandate to provide leadership in building democratic institutions and responsible economic structures in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. We expect Chairman Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) to fulfill their commitment, as contained in the Interim Agreement (Oslo II), to convene the Palestinian National Council and abrogate those sections of the Palestinian Covenant which call for Israel's destruction and which deny its existence. Failure to take such action, which is required within two months of the Palestinian Council's inauguration, would be extremely detrimental to the peace process.

Terrorism remains a serious threat to the peace process. Israeli and Palestinian law enforcement authorities are called upon to work both independently and in close cooperation to prevent extremists from engaging in such violence.

It is vitally important that all parties experience the tangible benefits of peacemaking. Israel and Jordan already have initiated major development projects that will stimulate economic growth in both countries. Reflecting Jordan's commitment to achieve a "warm peace" with Israel, the second international economic summit, which brought together business and government leaders from around the Middle East and from the major industrial powers, was held last year in Amman. Israel currently is exploring joint ventures with other Arab States as well, including Morocco, Tunisia, Oman and Qatar.

Attention to increasing pressures on limited water and other natural resources is significant to the peace process and impacts the health, welfare and stability of the region's communities. We strongly support investment and economic development in the region consistent with the long-term environmental health of the Middle East.

The international community, led by the United States, has a special responsibility to continue assisting the Palestinian leadership in promoting immediate development and investment in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Hamas, Islamic Jihad and other opponents of the peace process exploit conditions of poverty that exist in these areas. Economic expansion in the territories and, indeed, throughout the Middle East, would be accelerated by the official removal of the boycott against Israel. We call on the Arab League to take this long overdue action.

Permanent status negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are scheduled to begin by May 1996. Last fall, the U.S. Congress, acknowledging Jerusalem's status as the Israeli capital, adopted legislation requiring the transfer of our embassy to that city. Reflecting an overwhelming consensus of the American Jewish community, we reaffirm our support for the Israeli government's commitment to maintain Jerusalem as the eternal, undivided capital of the Jewish State under Israeli sovereignty and look forward to the transfer of the U.S. embassy to that city.

We are further encouraged by the recent renewal of negotiations between Israeli and Syrian representatives. As frequently noted, the principal obstacle in these negotiations continues to be President Assad's unwillingness to clearly and publicly commit his country to a full peace with Israel that includes open borders, the establishment of embassies, commerce and tourism. President Assad should demonstrate the seriousness of his intention to achieve peace with Israel by terminating terrorist operations in Damascus and Southern Lebanon.

The U.S. is playing a critical role in facilitating progress in the Israeli-Syrian negotiations. Administration officials have expressed readiness to support the parties in implementing an agreement, including the possible use of U.S. personnel as peace monitors. If and when an agreement is reached, and a specific proposal is made by the parties, such a U.S. monitoring role should be weighed carefully in light of the U.S. national interest to promote stability in the Middle East. We are confident that the Administration and the Congress will continue to do everything possible to assist in peacemaking and peacekeeping.

We applaud the continued strong bipartisan support of Israel and the peace process demonstrated by members of the 104th Congress, exemplified by the recent adoption of foreign aid legislation that preserves current levels of economic and military assistance to Israel. This aid is especially needed at a time when Israel is incurring extraordinary expenditures to carry out its obligations under the Interim Agreement. This legislation also included economic assistance for Israel's peace partners and an 18-month extension of the Middle East Peace Facilitation Act (MEPFA), the vehicle which enables the U.S. to actively facilitate negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. We support these important measures that contribute significantly to the peace process.

The NJCRAC looks forward to cooperating with both the Administration and the Congress as we strive to foster peace, stability and economic growth in the Middle East, and to strengthen U.S.-Israel relations.

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