[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1605 Introduced in House (IH)]
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1605
To seek the establishment of and contributions to an International Fund
for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 19, 2009
Mr. Crowley introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To seek the establishment of and contributions to an International Fund
for Israeli-Palestinian Peace, and for other purposes.
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 at as the ``International Fund for Israeli-
Palestinian Peace Authorization Act of 2009''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES.
(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) The persistence of decades-old violence, conflict, and
instability in the Middle East gravely affects the national
security of the United States and peace and stability
throughout the world.
(2) The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian and broader Arab-
Israeli conflicts strengthen extremists and opponents of peace
throughout the region.
(3) The establishment of peace between Israelis and
Palestinians, Muslims, Christians, and Jews, in the Middle East
is in the vital interests of the United States, Israelis,
Palestinians, the region, and the world.
(4) While the United States and its international allies
continue to support diplomatic and political negotiations
between the national government representatives of the parties
to the conflict, such efforts require broad popular support
among the Israeli, Palestinian, Muslim, Christian, and Jewish
peoples in order to succeed. Indeed, political agreements may
never arrive or endure without substantial public support.
(5) Through many independent nongovernmental activities,
tens of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, and Muslims,
Christians, and Jews, already work together to build better
relations between peoples, through people-to-people coexistence
and reconciliation activities and other cooperative efforts.
(6) Such civil society initiatives promote contact,
cooperation, dialogue, shared community building, peaceful
coexistence, joint economic development, and reconciliation
between Israelis and Palestinians, and Muslims, Christians, and
Jews, in the Middle East and thereby constitute a key means for
building grassroots support for a peaceful resolution to the
conflict.
(7) By working together, building positive relationships,
learning about each other, and interacting regularly in their
daily lives, participants in such activities come to recognize
the human face of people across conflict lines, understand that
people of good will seek peaceful coexistence, and support
efforts to marginalize extremists and build peace. The impact
of these programs spreads from participants to their families
and communities.
(8) These tangible initiatives also provide much-needed
services to individuals and communities in their everyday
lives, helping Israelis and Palestinians, and Muslims,
Christians, and Jews, in the region work, learn, and play
together; solve shared problems; and build socially and
economically stronger societies. These efforts extend into
every sphere of everyday life, promoting cooperation in
business, education, healthcare, community building, sports,
the environment, and the arts.
(9) While such efforts have demonstrated inspiring success
and touched tens of thousands of people, severely limited
funding has heretofore prevented them from reaching millions of
Israelis, Palestinians, Muslims, Christians, and Jews and thus
having a truly widespread impact on popular support for peace.
(10) Majorities of Israelis and Palestinians privately
indicate their support for peace and a final settlement of the
conflict, but extensive, direct grassroots efforts are needed
to mobilize these silent majorities into active and vocal
constituents for peace.
(11) Dramatically increased funding, coordination, and
support for people-to-people coexistence, reconciliation, and
joint economic initiatives can engage millions of ordinary
citizens affected by this conflict in building support for
peace.
(12) Working together, the United States, nations around
the world, and the private sector can catalyze widespread
support for peace with the establishment and funding of an
independent International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace,
to promote contact, cooperation, dialogue, shared community
building, peaceful coexistence, joint economic development, and
reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and Muslims,
Christians and Jews, in the Middle East.
(13) Such a Fund will be an expert coordinating body,
adhering to best practices for governance, transparency, and
accountability. It will ensure that the United States and the
international community stand fully behind the brave Israelis
and Palestinians and Muslims, Christians, and Jews willing to
work together for peace and a better future. It will be an
ongoing presence and catalyst, building broad public support
for a lasting peace in the region. The Fund is not intended to
be a political forum, but a grant-making body.
(b) Purposes.--Therefore, the purposes of this Act are as follows:
(1) To urge the President to make every effort, in
conjunction with the Government of Israel, the Palestinian
Authority, and the international community to establish a non-
political International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace to
promote and support contact, cooperation, dialogue, shared
community building, peaceful coexistence, joint economic
development, and reconciliation between Israelis and
Palestinians, and Muslims, Christians, and Jews.
(2) To provide for United States contributions to consist
of Economic Support Fund assistance for payment to the
International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace to carry out
the activities described in paragraph (1).
SEC. 3. ESTABLISHMENT OF INTERNATIONAL FUND.
Congress urges the President to make every effort, in conjunction
with the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority, and the
international community, to establish an International Fund for
Israeli-Palestinian Peace (in this Act referred to as the
``International Fund'') to carry out the purposes described in section
2(b).
SEC. 4. UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE INTERNATIONAL FUND.
(a) Fiscal Year 2010.--Of the amounts made available for the fiscal
year 2010 to carry out chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance
Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq. (relating to the Economic Support
Fund)), $50,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for United States
contributions to the International Fund. Pending the formal
establishment of the International Fund, such amounts may, pursuant to
an agreement with the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority,
or other nations be disbursed into and maintained in a separate
account.
(b) Fiscal Years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014.--Of the amounts made
available for each of the fiscal years 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 to
carry out chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961,
50,000,000 is authorized to be appropriated for United States
contributions to the International Fund.
(c) Additional Authorities.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the
authorization of appropriations under subsections (a) and (b)--
(1) are in addition to amounts otherwise authorized to be
appropriated for such purposes;
(2) are authorized to remain available until expended; and
(3) may be provided notwithstanding any other provision of
law.
SEC. 5. CONDITIONS AND UNDERSTANDINGS RELATING TO UNITED STATES
CONTRIBUTIONS.
(a) Promoting People-to-People Coexistence, Reconciliation, and
Joint Economic Efforts.--The United States contributions provided for
in this Act may be used only to support and promote the purposes
described in section 2(b).
(b) Additional Requirements.--The restrictions contained in section
531(e) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346a) apply
with respect to United States contributions provided for in this Act.
(c) United States Representation on the Board of the Fund.--The
President shall make every effort to ensure that there is United States
representation on the Board of the International Fund.
SEC. 6. ANNUAL REPORTS.
At the end of each fiscal year in which the United States
Government makes any contribution to the International Fund, the
President shall transmit to the Congress a report on the degree to
which the International Fund, and the United States contribution to it,
have contributed to promoting contact, cooperation, dialogue, shared
community building, peaceful coexistence, joint economic development,
and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians, and Muslims,
Christians, and Jews, in the Middle East.
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