[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5272 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5272

 To provide for a United States response in the event of a unilateral 
                  declaration of a Palestinian state.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 25, 2000

  Mr. Gilman (for himself, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Lazio, Mrs. Lowey, and Mr. 
  Reynolds) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee 
  on Banking and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently 
   determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 
 provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To provide for a United States response in the event of a unilateral 
                  declaration of a Palestinian state.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Peace Through Negotiations Act of 
2000''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Resolving the political status of the territory 
        controlled by the Palestinian Authority is one of the central 
        issues of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
            (2) The Palestinian threat to declare an independent state 
        unilaterally constitutes a fundamental violation of the 
        underlying principles of the Oslo Accords and the Middle East 
        peace process.
            (3) On March 11, 1999, the Senate overwhelmingly adopted 
        Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, and on March 16, 1999, the 
        House of Representatives adopted House Concurrent Resolution 
        24, both of which resolved that: ``any attempt to establish 
        Palestinian statehood outside the negotiating process will 
        invoke the strongest congressional opposition.''.
            (4) On July 25, 2000, Palestinian Chairman Arafat and 
        Israeli Prime Minister Barak issued a joint statement agreeing 
        that the ``two sides understand the importance of avoiding 
        unilateral actions that prejudice the outcome of negotiations 
        and that their differences will be resolved in good-faith 
        negotiations''.

SEC. 3. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES.

    It shall be the policy of the United States to oppose the 
unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, to withhold diplomatic 
recognition of any Palestinian state that is unilaterally declared, and 
to encourage other countries and international organizations to 
withhold diplomatic recognition of any Palestinian state that is 
unilaterally declared.

SEC. 4. MEASURES TO BE APPLIED IF A PALESTINIAN STATE IS UNILATERALLY 
              DECLARED.

    (a) Measures.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
beginning on the date that a Palestinian state is unilaterally declared 
and ending on the date such unilateral declaration is rescinded or on 
the date of a signed negotiated agreement between Israel and the 
Palestinian Authority under the terms of which the establishment of a 
Palestinian state is mutually agreed upon, the following measures shall 
be applied:
            (1) Downgrade in status of palestinian office in the united 
        states.--
                    (A) Section 1003 of the Foreign Relations 
                Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (Public 
                Law 100-204) as enacted on December 22, 1987, shall 
                have the full force and effect of law, and shall apply 
                notwithstanding any waiver or suspension of such 
                section that was authorized or exercised subsequent to 
                December 22, 1987.
                    (B) For purposes of such section, the term 
                ``Palestine Liberation Organization or any of its 
                constituent groups, any successor to any of those, or 
                any agents thereof'' shall include the Palestinian 
                Authority and the government of any unilaterally 
                declared Palestinian state.
                    (C) Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed to 
                preclude--
                            (i) the establishment or maintenance of a 
                        Palestinian information office in the United 
                        States, operating under the same terms and 
                        conditions as the Palestinian information 
                        office that existed prior to the Oslo Accords; 
                        or
                            (ii) diplomatic contacts between 
                        Palestinian officials and United States 
                        counterparts.
            (2) Prohibition on united states assistance to a 
        unilaterally declared palestinian state.--United States 
        assistance may not be provided, directly or indirectly, to the 
        government of a unilaterally declared Palestinian state, the 
        Palestinian Authority, or to any successor or related entity.
            (3) Prohibition on united states assistance to the west 
        bank and gaza.--United States assistance (except humanitarian 
        assistance) may not be provided to programs or projects in the 
        West Bank or Gaza.
            (4) Authority to withhold payment of united states 
        contributions to international organizations that recognize a 
        unilaterally declared palestinian state.--The President is 
        authorized to--
                    (A) withhold up to 10 percent of the United States 
                assessed contribution to any international organization 
                that recognizes a unilaterally declared Palestinian 
                state; and
                    (B) reduce the United States voluntary contribution 
                to any international organization that recognizes a 
                unilaterally declared Palestinian state up to 10 
                percent below the level of the United States voluntary 
                contribution to such organization in the fiscal year 
                prior to the fiscal year in which such organization 
                recognized a unilaterally declared Palestinian state.
            (5) Opposition to lending by international financial 
        institutions.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall instruct the 
        United States Executive Director at each international 
        financial institution (as defined in section 1701(c)(2) of the 
        International Financial Institutions Act) to use the voice, 
        vote, and influence of the United States to oppose--
                    (A) membership for a unilaterally declared 
                Palestinian state in such institution, or other 
                recognition of a unilaterally declared Palestinian 
                state by such institution; and
                    (B) the extension by such institution to a 
                unilaterally declared Palestinian state of any loan or 
                other financial or technical assistance.
            (6) Limitation on use of funds to extend united states 
        recognition.--No funds available under any provision of law may 
        be used to extend United States recognition to a unilaterally 
        declared Palestinian state, including, but not limited to, 
        funds for the payment of the salary of any ambassador, consul, 
        or other diplomatic personnel to such a unilaterally declared 
        state, or for the cost of establishing, operating, or 
        maintaining an embassy, consulate, or other diplomatic facility 
        in such a unilaterally declared state.
    (b) Definition.--For purposes of paragraphs (2) and (3) of 
subsection (a), the term ``United States assistance''--
            (1) means--
                    (A) assistance under the Foreign Assistance Act of 
                1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.), except--
                            (i) assistance under chapter 8 of part I of 
                        such Act (relating to international narcotics 
                        control assistance);
                            (ii) assistance under chapter 9 of part I 
                        of such Act (relating to international disaster 
                        assistance); and
                            (iii) assistance under chapter 6 of part II 
                        of such Act (relating to assistance for 
                        peacekeeping operations);
                    (B) assistance under the Arms Export Control Act 
                (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), including the license or 
                approval for export of defense articles and defense 
                services under section 38 of that Act; and
                    (C) assistance under the Export-Import Bank Act of 
                1945; and
            (2) does not include counter-terrorism assistance.
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