A Hopeful U.S. Congressman

It Needs Funding To Work

By Rep. Nick J. Rahall II

Not one of us would have dared predict, but all of us had truly dreamed of, the historic, stirring, and challenging ceremony that took place in Washington on Sept. 13, 1993, when mutual recognition accords were signed by Israeli Prime Minister Rabin and PLO Chairman Arafat.

The U.S. has pledged to work out multinational agreements of financial assistance for Palestine (and I hope, soon, for Lebanon as well), and we agreed it is a dire necessity to be met before any principles contained in the accords can be fully implemented.

It remains, also, for the Congress to identify, and repeal, all laws on our books that impose sanctions of any kind on the PLO, so that we can legally interact with the Palestinians and they with us. This was discussed in a meeting in the Capitol, which I attended, between our House leadership and Chairman Arafat on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 1993.

Aside from financial assistance, as important as it is to Palestine, Chairman Arafat must apply himself and all his considerable political skill and persuasion to the problem inherent in the continued internal struggles against him. Perceived "terrorist threats" to unity and peace from all sides must be addressed soon, and must be done in the face of journalistic zeal in reporting every single incident, large and small, real and imagined, that can be theorized as placing insurmountable obstacles in the path of peace.

But having said that financial assistance must be forthcoming, and that rejectionist groups must be prevented from stopping the accords in their tracks, Chairman Arafat will have to address as priorities what I believe are the most important issues—the economic and social infrastructure needs of the West Bank and Gaza.

Due to the occupation for so many years by Israeli troops, and also due to the insidious, politically driven, expansion of Israeli settlements beyond the Green Line, unemployment in the territories is unconscionably high. But if the financial aid can be obtained soon, and reconstruction begun immediately, unemployment will drop considerably while Palestine rebuilds and rejectionist movements subside.

Most important to any civilization is the health and well-being of its citizens. Adequate nutrition, decent housing, sufficient clean water, and medical care are essential to human dignity.

The food chain, for any country hoping to become independent, must be firmly established and closely guarded. This has not been the case in Palestine.

Most villages and towns lack sewage systems, and there are none in any of the Gaza camps. Solid waste disposal is woefully inadequate and subject to frequent curfews imposed by Israel. If you combine the highest density population in the world, 857 per square kilometer, and a grossly inadequate water supply, you will find unconscionably high rates of viral, bacterial and parasitic infection and deaths that have for too long drained the very life from adults and children alike in Palestine.

No food chain can be established, or maintained, without adequate water supplies, and that brings me to perhaps the most important problem for the agreement. Israel controls the water supply in the West Bank and Gaza. Approximately 30 percent of Israel's water comes from aquifers under the West Bank, constituting 90 percent of the 450 million cubic meters of water shared by the West Bank and Israel.

If Palestine is to go forward with the new accords, and if it is to do so by first reestablishing and then sustaining its food chain, then a more equitable allocation of available water resources must begin immediately. Recent statistics show that Palestinian farmers were allocated a mere 90 to 100 million cubic meters per year to serve 400 West Bank villages while, at the same time, 30 small Israeli settlements were allocated as much as 60 million cubic meters per year. This policy must be changed immediately.

Attention must be paid, also, to the recently reopened universities and community colleges in the territories. Far too many young people have had their college careers interrupted, and an educated citizenry is an investment no civilization can afford to overlook. I know of no people who place more importance on the education of their children than the parents of Palestine.

And so, while the world watches, and the news media chooses to focus on isolated rejectionist groups, or risks to Israel's security, the PLO chairman must be enabled to go forward with the implementation of the peace accords, in spite of any obstacles that may get in his way.

Let us hope that PLO Chairman Arafat and the people themselves will be allowed to focus on establishing priorities that will put people to work, feed the masses, meet their medical needs, assure adequate shelter and the rebuilding of their physical and economic infrastructure—and that human dignity will take precedence over most political considerations.

The Honorable Nick J. Rahall II is a Democratic member of the House of Representatives from the 4th district of West Virginia.