[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5501 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5501

  To prohibit United States participation on the United Nations Human 
Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibit contributions to the United Nations 
for the purpose of paying for any United Nations investigation into the 
                           flotilla incident.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 2010

 Mr. King of New York (for himself, Mr. Pence, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, 
 Mr. Smith of Texas, Mr. McKeon, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Rogers of Alabama, 
   Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Tiahrt, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Buchanan, Mr. 
Latta, Mr. Chaffetz, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Miller of Florida, Mr. Culberson, 
Mrs. Blackburn, Mrs. Bachmann, Mr. Roskam, Mr. Austria, Mr. Olson, Mr. 
 Broun of Georgia, Mr. Posey, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Miller 
of Michigan, Mr. Daniel E. Lungren of California, Mr. Lee of New York, 
 Mr. Carter, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Coble, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, 
   Mr. Burton of Indiana, Mr. Lewis of California, Mr. Calvert, Mr. 
 Gallegly, Mr. Terry, Mr. Kirk, and Mr. Bishop of Utah) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To prohibit United States participation on the United Nations Human 
Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibit contributions to the United Nations 
for the purpose of paying for any United Nations investigation into the 
                           flotilla incident.

    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 ``America Stands with Israel Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) A state of armed conflict exists between Israel and the 
        Hamas regime controlling Gaza. Hamas has launched 10,000 
        rockets against Israeli civilians, and is presently smuggling 
        in arms and military supplies into Gaza, by land and sea, in 
        order to fortify its positions and continue its attacks.
            (2) Under international law, Israel has the right to 
        protect the lives of its civilians from Hamas attacks, and, 
        consequently, has undertaken measures to defend itself, 
        including the imposition of a maritime blockade to curb Hamas 
        rearmament. Under international maritime law, when a maritime 
        blockade is in effect, no vessels can enter the blockaded area. 
        Its use of force for soldiers to defend themselves is also 
        acceptable under international law.
            (3) Hamas is a terrorist organization recognized by the 
        United States and the European Union whose charter calls for 
        the destruction of Israel. Hamas has also illegally taken 
        control of Gaza and has used rockets, mortars, and suicide 
        bombs to kill hundreds of Israelis and Americans inside of 
        Israel, which it continues to this day.
            (4) Hamas is funded and directly supported by Iran which 
        uses it as a proxy to fight Israel. In addition, Iran recently 
        announced it would send Iranian ships to escort future ships 
        attempting to break the Gaza blockade.
            (5) In 2002, Israel intercepted the Karine A which was 
        found to be carrying 50 tons of weapons destined for Hamas and, 
        in 2009, Israel intercepted the Francop carrying hundreds of 
        tons of weapons destined for Hezbollah.
            (6) Israel allows approximately 15,000 tons of supplies to 
        enter Gaza on a daily basis. In the last 18 months over a 
        million tons of humanitarian supplies have entered Gaza from 
        Israel.
            (7) Even though Israel repeatedly warned the flotilla it 
        would not be allowed entry in to Gaza and offered to deliver to 
        Gaza the humanitarian goods that the flotilla was carrying, 
        Israel was rebuffed.
            (8) Greta Berlin, one of the leaders of the flotilla, 
        admitted the purpose was not to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza 
        but rather to end the blockade.
            (9) The main organizer of the flotilla was the Turkish 
        Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which has publicly affirmed its 
        links to Hamas, maintains an office in Gaza, and has ties to 
        other terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda, and several 
        of the passengers on the flotilla have links or have provided 
        financial support to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and al-
        Qaeda.
            (10) According to its Web site, the United Nations Human 
        Rights Council is an intergovernmental body within the United 
        Nations consisting of 47 countries responsible for 
        strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights 
        around the globe. However, its members include such notorious 
        violators of human rights as China, Cuba, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, 
        and Russia. In addition, the Human Rights Council has produced 
        the deeply flawed and biased United Nations Fact Finding 
        Mission on the Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report) which was 
        rejected by the Obama Administration and Congress, and at least 
        27 resolutions specifically condemning Israel.

SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF CONGRESS.

    Congress declares that the United States stands with the Government 
of Israel and the Israeli people.

SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that the United States--
            (1) supports Israel's unconditional right to defend itself;
            (2) supports Israel's naval blockade of Gaza; and
            (3) should oppose any United Nations investigation into the 
        flotilla incident.

SEC. 5. ACTIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL; PROHIBITION 
              ON CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS.

    (a) Cessation of Membership.--The Secretary of State shall direct 
the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to 
cease United States participation in and membership on the United 
Nations Human Rights Council.
    (b) Prohibition on Certain Contributions.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of State may not contribute 
        to the United Nations any funds to be used to pay for an 
        investigation into the flotilla incident.
            (2) Recapture.--The Secretary of State shall ensure that no 
        United States contributions to the United Nations are used for 
        an investigation into the flotilla incident, including, where 
        necessary, by withholding from United States contributions to 
        the regularly assessed biennial budget of the United Nations 
        amounts equal to any amounts so expended.
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