[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 448 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 448

    Recognizing the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians and 
   acknowledging the sacrifices made in the interest of peace by the 
  Israeli settlers who left the Gaza Strip voluntarily, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 15, 2005

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Recognizing the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians and 
   acknowledging the sacrifices made in the interest of peace by the 
  Israeli settlers who left the Gaza Strip voluntarily, and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas the Government of Israel has committed to and accomplished its historic 
        disengagement from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the West 
        Bank;
Whereas almost 9,000 Israelis left behind homes, farms, and business where they 
        had lived and worked for more than 30 years, accepting, as citizens of a 
        democracy, a policy proposed by the Prime Minister and approved by the 
        Knesset;
Whereas the Israeli Defense Force and police officers carried out the evacuation 
        in good order, with discipline and restraint;
Whereas the Palestinian Authority worked to minimize violence so that the 
        disengagement did not take place ``under fire'';
Whereas the Government of Egypt has undertaken responsibility to patrol the 
        Philadelphi route on the border of Egypt and the Gaza Strip with 750 of 
        its own police officers;
Whereas the European Union has lauded the ``historic progress'' of disengagement 
        and praised both Israel and the Palestinian Authority for the 
        ``commitment to overcome the difficult challenges they face'';
Whereas the United Nations Security Council commended both Israel and the 
        Palestinian Authority for the successful disengagement and noted, as 
        well, the efforts of James D. Wolfensohn, former President of the World 
        Bank Group, relating to the economic future of the Gaza Strip;
Whereas James D. Wolfensohn has secured pledges of $14 million from private 
        donors, under the auspices of the Aspen Institute, to preserve 
        commercial greenhouses in the Gaza Strip, compensate their Israeli 
        owners, arrange for continued employment of an estimated 3,500 
        Palestinians, and ensure a continuing source of export revenue for the 
        Gaza Strip;
Whereas a meeting, hosted by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, took 
        place on September 1, 2005, between the Foreign Ministers of Israel and 
        Pakistan, Silvan Shalom and Khursheed Kasuri, a historic first meeting 
        between representatives of the two countries;
Whereas Pakistani Foreign Minister Kasuri attributed the meeting to the 
        importance that Pakistan attaches to Israel's disengagement from the 
        Gaza Strip; and
Whereas the Kingdom of Jordan has worked over many years to bring peace to the 
        Middle East: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the suffering of both Israelis and 
        Palestinians and acknowledges the sacrifices made in the 
        interest of peace by the Israeli settlers who left the Gaza 
        Strip voluntarily;
            (2) honors the courage and vision of Israeli Prime Minister 
        Ariel Sharon in taking this momentous step;
            (3) honors the courage of Palestinian Authority President 
        Mahmoud Abbas in his efforts to secure statehood for his people 
        by serving as a ``partner for peace'';
            (4) honors the courage of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak 
        in assuming responsibilities beyond those agreed upon in 
        Egypt's bilateral peace agreement with Israel;
            (5) honors the courage of Turkish Prime Minister Recep 
        Tayyip Erdogan for his statesmanship in promoting peace and 
        respect among peoples;
            (6) honors the courage of Pakistani President Pervez 
        Musharaf for urging a just reconciliation to the conflict 
        between Israel and the Palestinians, two states living side by 
        side in peace;
            (7) honors the courage of King Abdullah of Jordan in 
        following the commitment made by his father, King Hussein, to 
        peace with Israel;
            (8) commends the efforts of James D. Wolfensohn, former 
        President of the World Bank Group, and private donors to secure 
        a viable economy for the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip;
            (9) urges international lenders to invest in the West Bank 
        and the Gaza Strip to provide immediate opportunities for 
        employment and training;
            (10) urges the President of the United States and the 
        Secretary of State to support the ongoing cooperation of 
        Israelis and Palestinians with respect to the Gaza Strip and to 
        encourage resumption of peace negotiations; and
            (11) urges all peace-loving nations to advocate and support 
        the ``two-state'' solution.
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