[Congressional Bills 104th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 149 Referred in Senate (RFS)]

  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 149


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 13, 1996

      Received and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
                  Condemning terror attacks in Israel.

Whereas, on February 25, 1996, two vicious terror attacks in Jerusalem and 
        Ashkelon killed two American citizens and 25 Israelis, and wounded over 
        75 more;
Whereas, on February 26, 1996, an Israeli citizen was killed and 22 Israelis 
        were injured when a terrorist drove a rental car into a Jerusalem bus 
        stop;
Whereas, on March 3, 1996, a suicide bus bombing in Jerusalem took the lives of 
        18 innocent Israelis and other individuals and injured 10 more;
Whereas, on March 4, 1996, yet another heinous explosion by a suicide bomber in 
        Tel Aviv murdered at least 13 and wounded 130 more;
Whereas, the Gaza-based Hamas terror group claimed responsibility for the most 
        recent bombings, and the Damascus-based Palestinian Islamic Jihad and 
        Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror groups have claimed 
        responsibility for the majority of terror attacks since the signing of 
        the Declaration of Principles;
Whereas, these successive incidents represent an unprecedented escalation by 
        Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad of their terrorist campaign designed 
        to cause maximum carnage against the peaceful civilian population of 
        Israel, including children, women, and the elderly;
Whereas, these terrorist attacks are aimed not only at innocent Israeli 
        civilians but also at destroying the Middle East peace process;
Whereas, since the signing of the Declaration of Principles between Israel and 
        the PLO on September 13, 1993, nearly 200 people, including 5 American 
        citizens, have been killed in terrorist acts;
Whereas, the Palestine Liberation Organization, the Palestinian Authority and 
        Yasser Arafat have been ineffective and unsuccessful in completely 
        rooting out the vicious terrorist elements from Palestinian controlled 
        areas, calling into question their commitment to the peace process;
Whereas, the vast majority of Palestinian terror suspects have not been 
        apprehended, or if apprehended, not tried or punished, and no terror 
        suspects requested for transfer have been transferred to Israeli 
        authorities by Palestinian authorities in direct contravention of 
        agreements signed between the PLO and Israel;
Whereas, the Palestinian Authority must now do much more systematically to end 
        the threat posed by terrorist groups and take other steps consistent 
        with the Israel-Palestinian Interim Agreement, including the 
        apprehension, trial, and punishment of those who conduct terrorist acts 
        and implementation of procedures agreed upon with Israel to transfer 
        suspected terrorists;
Whereas, the hateful language calling for Israel's destruction, that remains an 
        integral part of the Palestinian National Covenant only serves to incite 
        those opposed to the peace process;
Whereas, the Palestinian National Covenant has not yet been amended, despite 
        commitments by the PLO to do so;
Whereas these failures undermine and threaten the peace process as well as 
        continued United States financial assistance;
Whereas, the Government of Iran continues to provide safe haven, financial 
        support, and arms to terror groups such as Hamas, Islamic Jihad, or 
        Hizbollah among others, and has in no way acted to restrain these groups 
        from committing acts of terrorism;
Whereas, notwithstanding Syria's participation in a serious negotiating process 
        to reach a peace agreement with Israel, Syria continues to provide a 
        safe haven for terrorist groups opposed to the peace process, permits 
        the arming of Hizbollah in Lebanon, and has not acted to prevent these 
        groups from committing acts of terrorism;
Whereas, failure to act against terrorists by the Palestinian Authority, Iran, 
        Syria and others only undermines the credibility of the peace process: 
        Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) condemns and reviles in the strongest terms the attacks 
        in Jerusalem, Ashkelon, and Tel Aviv;
            (2) extends condolences to the families of all those 
        killed, and to the Government and all the people of the State 
        of Israel;
            (3) expresses its support and solidarity with the people 
        and Government of the State of Israel;
            (4) reaffirms its full support for Israel in its efforts to 
        combat terrorism as it attempts to pursue peace with its 
        neighbors in the region;
            (5) calls upon the Palestinian Authority, the elected 
        Palestinian Council and Chairman Arafat to act swiftly and 
        decisively to apprehend and effectively punish the perpetrators 
        of terror attacks, to prevent such acts of terror in the 
        future, to confiscate all unauthorized weapons and to avoid and 
        condemn all statements and gestures which signal tolerance for 
        such acts and their perpetrators;
            (6) calls upon Chairman Arafat, the Palestinian Authority 
        and the elected representatives of the Palestinian Council to 
        eliminate the terrorist structure and terrorist activities of 
        Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the 
        Liberation of Palestine, and all other terror groups;
            (7) calls upon Chairman Arafat, the Palestinian Authority 
        and the elected representatives of the Palestinian Council to 
        adopt legislative and executive measures to ban the existence 
        and operations of all terrorist organizations resident in the 
        Palestinian autonomous areas;
            (8) insists that Chairman Arafat convene the Palestinian 
        National Council, so that the Palestinian National Covenant 
        will be amended of its vile references to Israel within sixty 
        days of the Palestinian Council's inauguration on March 7, 
        1996;
            (9) reaffirms its belief that the Palestinian National 
        Covenant must be amended in order for the peace process to 
        succeed;
            (10) calls upon the Palestinian people to support the 
        deletion of anti-Israel language from the Palestinian National 
        Covenant;
            (11) calls upon the Palestinian people to express their 
        revulsion for terrorism against Israel, and condemn and isolate 
        those elements of Palestinian society that employ and support 
        such terrorist acts;
            (12) urges all parties to the peace process, in order to 
        retain the credibility of their commitment to peace, to bring 
        to justice the perpetrators of acts of terrorism, and to cease 
        harboring, financing, and arming terror groups in all 
        territories under their control;
            (13) calls upon those Arab states that have failed to 
        condemn these acts of terrorism to do so immediately and 
        forthrightly, and to support all efforts in the region to 
        combat terrorism;
            (14) calls upon the international community to cooperate 
        with the United States in isolating states which engage in 
        international terrorism;
            (15) insists that Iran and Syria cease all support for all 
        terrorist groups operating in areas under their control and 
        refrain from all activities in opposition to the Middle East 
        peace process;
            (16) expresses its intent to reconsider United States 
        assistance to the Palestinian Authority, in consultation with 
        the Administration, in light of the steps that must be taken by 
        the Palestinian Authority against terrorist infrastructures and 
        operations;
            (17) urges the United States to act decisively and swiftly 
        against those governments who continue to harbor, arm, or 
        finance terror groups seeking to undermine the peace process; 
        and
            (18) praises United States efforts to provide Israel with 
        all appropriate anti-terrorism resources to eliminate the tide 
        of terrorist incidents against Israel.

            Passed the House of Representatives March 12, 1996.

            Attest:

                                                ROBIN H. CARLE,

                                                                 Clerk.