[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 163 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 163

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should not 
   provide assistance to terrorist organizations affiliated with the 
 Palestinian Authority or to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation 
                                 (PBC).


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 1, 1997

   Mr. Fox of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Gilman, Mr. Weller, Mr. 
  Brady, Mr. Snowbarger, Mr. Pappas, Mr. Weldon of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
  Forbes, Mr. LaTourette, Mr. Hostettler, Mr. Neumann, Mr. Horn, Mr. 
Paxon, Mr. Quinn, Mr. McHugh, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Greenwood, Mr. Waxman, 
    Mr. Nadler, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Foley, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Linder, Mr. 
Aderholt, Mrs. Roukema, Mr. Bono, Ms. Harman, Mr. Cannon, Mr. Shimkus, 
  Mr. Engel, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Solomon, and Mr. Cardin) submitted the 
following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                        International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should not 
   provide assistance to terrorist organizations affiliated with the 
 Palestinian Authority or to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation 
                                 (PBC).

Whereas the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (hereafter the ``PBC''), an 
        official arm of the Palestinian Authority, has been engaged in serious 
        offenses of broadcasting hostile propaganda against the United States 
        and Israel;
Whereas the Palestinian Authority, via the PBC and its subsidiary, the Voice of 
        Palestine, on Friday, September 12, 1997, broadcast the speech of the 
        Palestinian Authority Mufti Ikrama Sabri who called on Muslims ``to 
        raise [our] voices against America'' and who referred to the United 
        States as the chief of the terrorists;
Whereas Mufti Sabri further advocated the destruction of the United States by 
        saying ``Oh Allah, destroy America, her agents and her allies! Cast them 
        into their own traps, and cover the White House with black!'';
Whereas the Palestinian Authority, via the PBC and the Voice of Palestine, on 
        July 11, 1997, broadcast another speech by Mufti Sabri when he called 
        for the destruction of the United States by saying ``Oh Allah, destroy 
        America . . . Allah will paint the White House black!'';
Whereas the Palestinian Authority and PBC have also been engaged in broadcasting 
        hostile propaganda against the State of Israel as demonstrated by the 
        June 14, 1997, broadcast of the Voice of Palestine in which the PBC made 
        statements calling the Palestinian people to violence, including stating 
        that the Palestinian people have the right to react to settlement terror 
        via all means;
Whereas on May 22, 1997, the PBC, via the Voice of Palestine, read a poem which 
        referred to Israelis as wolves, tormentors, and dogs;
Whereas the Palestinian Authority is engaged in restrictive journalism as 
        exemplified by their Press Law of 1995 which restricts free press and 
        states that editors-in-chief must be Palestinian or non-Palestinian 
        nationals who have worked with the Palestine Liberation Organization;
Whereas the Congress believes that the actions of the Palestinian Authority, via 
        its agency the PBC, threaten the national interests of the United States 
        and the security of its citizens;
Whereas the Congress believes that the actions of the Palestinian Authority, via 
        the PBC, undermine the Middle East peace process and incite hatred of, 
        and fatal terrorist acts against, Israelis;
Whereas the Congress believes that the United States should assist independent 
        Palestinian journalists in their efforts to provide the Palestinian 
        people with a free and open press; and
Whereas the Congress believes that the Palestinian Authority and the PBC have 
        failed to exercise journalistic integrity and have engaged in actions 
        that have harmed the prospects for peace in the Middle East: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that--
            (1) the United States should not provide assistance to any 
        organization affiliated with the Palestinian Authority that 
        advocates the destruction of the United States and supports 
        acts of terrorism;
            (2) the United States should not provide assistance, either 
        directly or indirectly, to the Palestinian Broadcasting 
        Corporation or any of its affiliated or successor agencies; and
            (3) the United States should support a system of 
        independent journalists in the Middle East who observe a code 
        of professional journalism similar to the code adopted by the 
        Voice of America.
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