Mr. Speaker, we are approaching the seventh anniversary of the Oslo accords, the historic Israeli-Palestinian agreement that heralded the hope of an end to war, and the beginning of a process that would culminate in an enduring peace.
Seven to eight years later, many Palestinians and Israelis see the Oslo accords as a failure or worse and pronounce them dead and buried. Accordingly, it is important that we reaffirm the basic principles, pillars of these accords, which are no less valid today and even more compelling than ever before.
These include: mutual respect for, and acknowledgement of, the legitimacy of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples' right to self-determination; renunciation of all acts of terrorism and violence; direct negotiations in good faith to resolve all outstanding issues between the parties; and, respect for human rights, the rule of law and the general principles of law recognized by the community of nations.