[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 282 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 282

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                        March 31, 2009.
Whereas the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel signed in Washington, DC, on 
        March 26, 1979, set an unprecedented example of reconciliation following 
        decades marked by nearly unremitting tension and confrontation, 
        including the 1948 War of Israeli Independence, the 1956 Suez War, the 
        1967 Six-Day War, the 1968-70 War of Attrition along the Suez Canal, and 
        the 1973 Yom Kippur War;
Whereas United States diplomatic efforts and initiatives in the aftermath of the 
        1973 Arab-Israeli War helped build the foundations of a lasting peace 
        between Egypt and Israel;
Whereas pursuant to an invitation by Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, 
        President Anwar al-Sadat became the first Arab leader to visit Israel on 
        November 20, 1977, when he delivered a historic address before Israel's 
        Parliament, the Knesset, calling for Egypt and Israel to ``. . . stand 
        together with the . . . boldness of heroes who dedicate themselves to a 
        sublime aim . . . to erect a huge edifice of peace . . . an edifice that 
        . . . serves as a beacon for generations to come'';
Whereas Prime Minister Menachem Begin and President Sadat demonstrated 
        remarkable character and courage in their willingness to move beyond 
        decades of hostility, bitterness, and mistrust to launch an 
        unprecedented rapprochement without any guarantee as to the potential 
        outcome of their mutual determination to engage in United States-
        mediated peace talks;
Whereas successive administrations worked diligently to facilitate intensive 
        discussions in the hope of achieving a historic diplomatic breakthrough 
        on Middle East peace, and President Jimmy Carter invited the two leaders 
        to Camp David for intensive discussions from September 5-17, 1978;
Whereas, on September 17, 1978, the United States witnessed the signing of two 
        framework agreements between the Governments of Egypt and Israel, ``A 
        Framework for Peace in the Middle East'' and ``A Framework for the 
        Conclusion of a Peace Treaty between Egypt and Israel'';
Whereas, on March 26, 1979, President Sadat and Prime Minister Begin signed the 
        first treaty between an Arab nation and Israel;
Whereas the primary features of the peace treaty included the mutual recognition 
        of Egypt and Israel, the end of the state of war between the two nations 
        dating back to the 1948 War of Israeli Independence, the complete 
        withdrawal by Israel of its armed forces and civilians from the Sinai 
        Peninsula, freedom of passage for Israeli ships through the Suez Canal, 
        and recognition of the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Aqaba as 
        international waterways;
Whereas United States leadership played a decisive role in enabling Egypt and 
        Israel to set aside longstanding animosities;
Whereas the conclusion of the treaty between Egypt and Israel set a courageous 
        example of statesmanship;
Whereas as a direct result of the peace treaty, the Arab League suspended Egypt 
        from its membership from 1979 until 1989;
Whereas, in 1981, President Sadat was assassinated in Cairo by Egyptian soldiers 
        who belonged to the al-Gama`ah al-Islamiyah (Islamic Group) and Egyptian 
        Islamic Jihad;
Whereas, on October 26, 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and King 
        Hussein of Jordan followed in the path set by President Sadat and Prime 
        Minister Begin, signing the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace;
Whereas, despite the existence of tensions and grievances, the peace treaty 
        between Egypt and Israel continues to challenge presuppositions about 
        the intractability of conflict in the Middle East and provides an 
        enduring framework for facilitating dialogue; and
Whereas Egypt and Israel continue to collaborate in ongoing efforts to address 
        regional difficulties despite the security challenges facing both 
        nations: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) recognizes the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between 
        Egypt and Israel, celebrates the treaty's strength and endurance, and 
        commends the extraordinary diplomatic achievement that the treaty 
        exemplifies;
            (2) recalls the historic sacrifices sustained by Egypt and Israel in 
        the cause of peace and commends the steadfast determination of both 
        nations to sustain their mutual commitment to peace;
            (3) calls for the strengthening of economic, diplomatic, and 
        cultural relations between Egypt and Israel;
            (4) urges the Governments of Egypt and Israel to strengthen the 
        spirit of cooperation that emerged in 1979 as the Middle East faces new 
        challenges;
            (5) seeks to encourage continued United States efforts to foster 
        constructive initiatives to resolve existing conflicts and mitigate 
        current and emerging threats to a just and lasting Middle East peace; 
        and
            (6) calls for recognition of the peace treaty between Egypt and 
        Israel as a model mechanism upon which partner nations may build to 
        overcome longstanding barriers to peace and effective cooperation.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.