[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 27 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 27

Commending the results of the January 9, 2005, Palestinian Presidential 
                               Elections.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 1, 2005

Mr. Frist (for himself, Mr. Reid, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Biden, Mr. Levin, Mr. 
    Sununu, Mr. Chafee, Mr. Hagel, and Mr. Feingold) submitted the 
        following resolution; which was considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Commending the results of the January 9, 2005, Palestinian Presidential 
                               Elections.

Whereas on January 9, 2005, for the first time in 9 years, large numbers of 
        Palestinians living in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem 
        voted in elections that were widely described by outside monitors as 
        free and fair;
Whereas the Palestinian people elected former Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, also 
        known as Abu Mazen, to the office of President of the Palestinian 
        Authority;
Whereas an estimated 65 percent of eligible Palestinians living in the West 
        Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem participated in voting at over 1000 
        polling stations, and for the first time in nearly 30 years, the 
        Palestinian people elected new leadership;
Whereas on January 9, 2005, President of the United States George W. Bush stated 
        that it was a ``historic day for the Palestinian people and for the 
        people of the Middle East'' and that ``Palestinians throughout the West 
        Bank and Gaza took a key step toward building a democratic future by 
        choosing a new president in elections that observers described as 
        largely free and fair'';
Whereas Israel provided important cooperation with the Palestinian Authority to 
        enable the holding of this election, including minimizing delays at 
        checkpoints and redeploying Israeli security forces away from 
        Palestinian population centers;
Whereas the Palestinian election was an important step towards democracy for the 
        Palestinian people and an example to all those in the region who are 
        striving to achieve democracy in their own nation;
Whereas during his inaugural speech, President Abbas stated that ``The winner in 
        these elections is the great Palestinian people who have created this 
        democratic epic and who will safeguard it'', that ``The people have 
        voted for the rule of law, order, pluralism, the peaceful transfer of 
        authority, and equality for all'', and further ``Let us start 
        implementing the Roadmap'';
Whereas these comments build upon Mr. Abbas' 1993 statements on the White House 
        lawn, where he said that a Palestinian state and an Israeli state could 
        live in ``peaceful coexistence and cooperation'';
Whereas the election of Mahmoud Abbas was hailed around the world as a positive 
        step opening new opportunities to move toward peace between the 
        Palestinian Authority and Israel;
Whereas the Palestinian election provided President Abbas with a mandate from 
        the majority of Palestinians to reject violence and pursue peace with 
        Israel;
Whereas the extent of cooperation between the Israelis and Palestinians during 
        the period leading up to and including election day was unprecedented in 
        the past four years and reflects the potential for future cooperation;
Whereas the election must be followed quickly by concrete steps on the part of 
        the new Palestinian President to meet his commitment to reform the 
        Palestinian security services, establish the rule of law, and do all in 
        his power to combat terrorism;
Whereas a democratic Palestinian Authority will serve as one of the most 
        important building blocks for a viable, free, and stable Palestinian 
        state;
Whereas President Abbas' success likely will depend upon his ability to tangibly 
        and quickly improve the quality of life for Palestinians, and end 
        corruption and violence;
Whereas the United States Government stands ready to work with the new 
        Palestinian President to facilitate a renewed dialogue between the new 
        Palestinian leadership and the Government of Israel with the goal of 
        achieving through the Performance Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State 
        Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (the ``Roadmap''), 
        President George W. Bush's vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, 
        living side by side in peace;
Whereas the Roadmap, endorsed by the United States, Israel, the Palestinian 
        Authority, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations, remains 
        the only realistic and widely recognized plan for making progress toward 
        peace;
Whereas the policy of the United States is to work toward a just and peaceful 
        resolution of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict based on two democratic 
        states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security;
Whereas all parties to the Roadmap have an obligation to urgently provide 
        support for the Palestinian Authority in its efforts to confront and 
        fight terror as well as to assist in the creation of true democratic 
        institutions that will enforce the rule of law; and
Whereas people of all peaceful nations believe peace between the Palestinian 
        Authority and the state of Israel will have far reaching positive 
        effects on the entire region and throughout the world; Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes that, on January 9, 2005, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, 
        also known as Abu Mazen, was elected by the Palestinian people 
        to the office of President of the Palestinian Authority in what 
        were widely described as free and fair elections;
            (2) recognizes this milestone in the development of 
        Palestinian democracy and congratulates President Abbas on his 
        election to the presidency of the Palestinian Authority;
            (3) commends the efforts of the Israeli Government to 
        facilitate the election;
            (4) expresses its respect for the freely expressed will of 
        the Palestinian people, and its intention to work with 
        President Abbas to help the Palestinian people realize the 
        opportunity for a more peaceful, prosperous future;
            (5) urges President Abbas and the new Palestinian 
        leadership to abide by its commitments to reform the security 
        services, establish the rule of law, and press on with the 
        development of democratic institutions, including an 
        independent judiciary and an empowered and democratically 
        elected legislature;
            (6) urges President Abbas to move quickly to honor his 
        pledges to halt violence and incitement against Israel, 
        dismantle terrorist organizations, and fulfill the Palestinian 
        Authority's obligations according to the terms of the Roadmap;
            (7) supports efforts to increase United States assistance 
        to the Palestinian people and to help President Abbas rebuild 
        and reform the Palestinian Authority's institutions, as 
        President Abbas takes actions consistent with the Roadmap, so 
        that they may better serve the Palestinian people;
            (8) urges all members of the international community, 
        particularly all parties to the Roadmap, to take advantage of 
        this historic opportunity by providing timely assistance to the 
        new Palestinian Government as it moves forward to implement the 
        Roadmap, to help it build the necessary political, economic, 
        and security infrastructure essential to establishing a viable, 
        democratic state and improving the lives of the Palestinian 
        people;
            (9) calls upon Arab states in particular to provide 
        political and financial support to the Palestinian Authority, 
        to support a complete end to terrorism against Israel, to end 
        incitement against it, and to reach out to the State of Israel 
        in friendship and full recognition;
            (10) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        security of Israel as a democratic, Jewish state, and supports 
        the commitment of Israel to fulfill its obligations under the 
        Roadmap; and
            (11) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to the 
        Roadmap including realization of the vision of two democratic 
        states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and 
        security, and looks forward to working closely with the 
        Executive Branch to achieve this vision.
                                 <all>