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Chairman of House Int'l Relations Comm. Co-sponsors Bill on US Victims of Arab Terror

The chairman of the House International Relations Committee, US Representative Ben Gilman, has become one of the original co-sponsors of the first-ever legislation concerning American victims of Palestinian Arab terrorism in Israel. The introduction of the legislation follows a major public campaign by the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).

Thirteen American citizens have been killed by Palestinian Arab terrorists since the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993. Israel had identified 23 Palestinian Arab terrorists who were involved in attacks. Most of the 23 are free in Yasir Arafat's Palestinian Authority (PA) territory, and at least five of the 23 are serving in the PA police force.

Rep. Gilman (R-NY) and Rep. James McGovern (D-MA) have become original co-sponsors of the bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, along with Reps. Rob Andrews (D-NJ), Matt Salmon (R-AZ), Jim Saxton (R-NJ), and Michael Forbes (R-NY).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: "Representative Gilman and the other original sponsors of the bill deserve praise for their courageous and principled stand on behalf of justice for American victims of Palestinian Arab terrorism."

In the U.S. Senate, the legislation has been introduced by Senators John Ashcroft (R-MO), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Arlen Specter (R-PA), Richard Shelby (R-AL), Peter Fitzgerald (R-IL), and Conrad Burns (R-MT).