[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 50 Referred in House (RFH)]

  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 50


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 21, 1998

          Referred to the Committee on International Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Condemning in the strongest possible terms the bombing in Jerusalem on 
                           September 4, 1997.

Whereas on September 4, 1997, 3 bombs exploded in Jerusalem on Ben Yehuda 
        Street, killing at least 7 people and injuring more than 165 others;
Whereas HAMAS, a terrorist organization, has a ``military wing'' which has 
        claimed responsibility for this cowardly act;
Whereas Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, has made 
        statements in which he said ``HAMAS, even its military wing, is a 
        patriotic movement.'';
Whereas on August 20, 1997, Chairman Arafat publicly embraced the leader of 
        HAMAS, Abdel Aziz al-Rantisi;
Whereas Yasser Arafat has recently ordered the release of several HAMAS 
        terrorists being held in Palestinian Authority jails, including Nabil 
        Sharihi, who is suspected in a bombing that killed Alisa Flatow, an 
        American citizen;
Whereas Israel has recently given Yasser Arafat a long list of suspected 
        terrorists who are presently residing in Palestinian-controlled 
        territory;
Whereas Yasser Arafat has made public statements in which he vowed not to ``bow 
        down'' to Israeli requests that he arrests suspected terrorists;
Whereas since the beginning of the Oslo peace process, more than 100 Israelis 
        have been killed, and hundreds more have been injured, far more than in 
        a similar period before the peace process began; and
Whereas in violation of the Oslo Accords, the Palestinian Authority has withheld 
        full security cooperation with the State of Israel, which may have made 
        this attack more likely: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) condemns in the strongest possible terms this latest 
        bombing and those responsible for encouraging or inciting such 
        cowardly acts;
            (2) expresses its deepest condolences to the families of 
        the victims of this latest bombing and expresses its solidarity 
        with the people of the State of Israel in this tragic time;
            (3) reaffirms that the United States should fully cooperate 
        with the State of Israel in helping to stem the tide of 
        terrorism, which has threatened the Oslo peace process and the 
        stability of this vital region; and
            (4) affirms that the United States will only provide 
        monetary or other assistance to the Palestinian Authority once 
        it has fulfilled its obligations under the Oslo Accords, 
        including--
                    (A) taking affirmative steps to arrest and 
                prosecute suspected terrorists;
                    (B) resuming full security and intelligence 
                cooperation with the State of Israel;
                    (C) taking affirmative steps to confiscate all 
                unlicensed weapons and explosives;
                    (D) prohibiting participation in the Palestinian 
                security services of individuals suspected of 
                committing terrorist acts;
                    (E) ceasing all anti-Israeli rhetoric, including 
                statements which refer to terrorist groups as 
                ``patriotic'', statements which praise terrorists or 
                terrorist leaders, and statements encouraging a 
                ``battle'' or ``jihad'' against Israel;
                    (F) cooperating with Israel in the transfer of 
                suspected terrorists to Israel to stand trial;
                    (G) ceasing the use of maps depicting ``Palestine'' 
                as encompassing the entire State of Israel;
                    (H) completing the process of amending the covenant 
                of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, including 
                the recession of those specific articles which call for 
                armed struggle to liberate ``Palestine'' or question 
                the legitimacy of Zionism or the State of Israel; and
                    (I) taking affirmative steps to ensure that the 
                size of the Palestinian police force is in accordance 
                with the limits set forth in the Oslo and subsequent 
                accords.

            Passed the Senate September 11, 1997.

            Attest:

                                                    GARY SISCO,

                                                             Secretary.