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

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 282

Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between Egypt and 
                                Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 24, 2009

 Mr. Fortenberry (for himself and Mr. Ellison) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the peace treaty between Egypt and 
                                Israel.

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 periods of heightened confrontation and tension, 
        including the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the Suez Crisis of 1956, the War of 
        Attrition along the Suez Canal, and the Arab-Israeli War of 1973;
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 and 
        recognize 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 by each other, the end of the state of war between 
        the two nations dating back to the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, 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 in the face of widespread opposition;
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 Gama`ah 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 the legacy of the treaty was poignantly echoed at the memorial service 
        of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, who was assassinated on 
        November 4, 1995;
Whereas, despite the existence of tensions and grievances, the peace treaty 
        between Egypt and Israel continues to challenge presuppositions about 
        the intransigence 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 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 candid, 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 
        mutual cooperation.
                                 <all>