Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Israel and Jordan initialed a historic agreement ending a state of war between the two peoples which lasted more than 46 years. The agreement is even more exemplary because it was achieved despite provocations from extremists.
By common consent, Prime Minister Rabin of Israel and King Hussein of Jordan agreed to work together to make the desert valleys bloom again in peace.
Such an agreement is only possible if the parties persevere in their desire to improve the situation step by step so that it becomes a lasting peace.
We are pleased with this agreement, which seeks to improve the lives of Israelis, Jordanians and Palestinians. We hope that the next step will extend to Syria as soon as possible.