[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 122 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 122

Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Israeli soldiers missing 
 in action and calling upon governments and authorities in the Middle 
               East to act to resolve these tragic cases.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 1997

  Mr. Lantos submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
          referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress regarding Israeli soldiers missing 
 in action and calling upon governments and authorities in the Middle 
               East to act to resolve these tragic cases.

Whereas Zachary Baumel, an American-Israeli soldier, has been missing in action 
        since June 1982 when he was captured by forces of the Palestinian 
        Liberation Organization (PLO) following a tank battle with Syrian forces 
        at Sultan Ya'akub in Lebanon;
Whereas Yehuda Katz, an Israeli soldier, was also captured at Sultan Ya'akub and 
        has been missing in action since June, 1982;
Whereas Zvi Feldman, an Israeli soldier, was also captured at Sultan Ya'akub and 
        has been missing in action since June, 1982;
Whereas all three of these soldiers captured at Sultan Ya'akub were last known 
        to be in the hands of a Palestinian faction splintered from the PLO and 
        operating in Syrian-controlled territory thus making this a matter 
        within the responsibility of the Government of Syria;
Whereas Ron Arad, in October 1986, was forced to bail out of his Israeli Air 
        Force fighter jet and was taken captive by the Lebanese Shiite Muslim 
        organization, Amal;
Whereas there has been virtually no contact with any of these four soldiers 
        since their capture, nor have any diplomatic efforts to secure their 
        release been successful thus far, although Chairman Yasir Arafat did 
        deliver one half of Zachary Baumel's dog tag to Israeli Government 
        authorities; Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That the Congress--
            (1) calls upon Chairman Yasir Arafat and other officials in 
        the Palestinian authority to use their good offices with Syria, 
        Lebanon, and the other governments in the region to secure the 
        safe return of these four Israeli soldiers consistent with 
        Chairman Arafat's obligation as specified in the May 4, 1994, 
        Gaza-Jericho agreement between the PLO and the Israeli 
        Government to cooperate with Israel in locating and working for 
        the return of Israeli soldiers missing in action;
            (2) urges the Government of Syria to use its good offices 
        with the various paramilitary groups in Syria and in areas in 
        which Syria has influence to bring about a resolution of this 
        issue and secure the safe return of these four Israeli soldiers 
        missing in action;
            (3) calls upon the President, the Secretary of State and 
        other United States Government officials to pursue aggressively 
        and actively the resolution of these tragic cases with all 
        appropriate government officials and through all appropriate 
        channels; and
            (4) urges the President and the Secretary of State, as they 
        formulate United States policy toward each government or 
        authority in the Middle East, to take into consideration the 
        level of assistance provided by that government or authority in 
        resolving these cases and to factor that judgment into 
        considerations of United States policy toward, and aid for, 
        each government or authority.
                                 <all>