ZOA National President Morton A. Klein welcoming everyone in his opening address.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein showing the overwhelming size of Arab states in the Middle East compared to Israel, which is hard to find because of its small size.

Ambassador Kirkpatrick stating that the Palestinian Arabs’ constant violations of the Oslo accords and broken promises of peace prove that their word cannot be relied upon. “It’s happened so many times there’s no reason to expect otherwise,” she said.


Israeli Knesset Member Moshe Arens, formerly Israel’s Foreign Minister, Defense Minister, and Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. said: “Is there any doubt that if a Palestinian state was established, it would be the fifth terrorist state in the Middle East? (in addition to Libya, Syria, Iran, and Iraq)…Is there any doubt that the danger will be more severe?” He said the creation of a Palestinian Arab state “would not serve the interests of Israel, the United States, or the civilized world.”


Dr. Jeane Kirkpatrick, formerly America’s ambassador to the United Nations, the featured speaker at the forum, emphasized that “The destruction of Israel and expulsion of the Jews has been the goal of the PLO since its beginning in 1964 and continues to this day.”


The ZOA seminar, held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, was attended by more than one hundred Senate and House staff members.


U.S. Senator Bob Smith (R-NH), addressed the forum saying “creating a Palestinian state would send a message to terrorists that they will be rewarded for their violence.”


The panel, L-R, Dr. Jeane Kirkpatrick, ZOA National President Morton A. Klein, Israeli Knesset Member Moshe Arens and Senator Bob Smith (R-NH).


Ambassador Arens also noted that while proponents of the Oslo process claimed that Israeli surrender of territory would lead to a decrease in terrorism, in fact Palestinian Arab terrorism against Israel “increased very sharply” following Israeli withdrawals from parts of Judea, Samaria, and Gaza. He said: “Atrocities against Israel under Arafat are unparalleled since the Nazi era.”