[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 557 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 557

   Expressing support for the State of Israel's inalienable right to 
  defend itself in the face of an imminent nuclear or military threat 
from Iran, terrorist organizations, and the countries that harbor them.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 18, 2009

Mr. Sessions submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing support for the State of Israel's inalienable right to 
  defend itself in the face of an imminent nuclear or military threat 
from Iran, terrorist organizations, and the countries that harbor them.

Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and is a 
        sovereign democratic nation;
Whereas the United States was one of the first nations to recognize Israel's 
        independence;
Whereas the United States and Israel share the common goal of peace in the 
        Middle East;
Whereas Israel is one of the United States strongest allies;
Whereas Israel has continuously worked toward a peaceful coexistence with its 
        neighbors;
Whereas, on April 7, 2009, Vice President Joe Biden said that Israeli Prime 
        Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be ``ill advised'' to strike Iran's 
        nuclear facilities;
Whereas Hamas and Hezbollah are listed as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the 
        United States Department of State;
Whereas since 2001, Hamas, which pledges destruction of Israel, has fired over 
        7,000 rockets and mortars at civilians from the Gaza Strip into Israeli 
        towns;
Whereas in 2006, the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which pledges allegiance 
        to Iran, launched an attack on Israel from Lebanon;
Whereas during this 2006 attack, Hezbollah fired over 3,970 katyusha rockets 
        into civilian centers in Northern Israel;
Whereas Iran continues to support terrorism through its proxies, Hamas and 
        Hezbollah, by providing the terrorist organizations with financial and 
        military assistance;
Whereas Iran continues to support Hezbollah, despite United Nations Security 
        Council Resolution 1559 that calls for the ``disbanding and disarmament 
        of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militia'';
Whereas, on October 26, 2005, at a conference in Tehran called ``World Without 
        Zionism'', Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated ``They say how 
        could we have a world without America and Zionism? But you know well 
        that this slogan and goal can be achieved and can definitely be 
        realized'';
Whereas the New York Times reported that during his October 26, 2005, speech, 
        President Ahmadinejad called for ``this occupying regime [Israel] to be 
        wiped off the map'';
Whereas, on August 3, 2006, in a speech during an emergency meeting of Muslim 
        leaders, President Ahmadinejad stated that the Middle East would be 
        better off ``without the existence of the Zionist regime'', called 
        Israel an ``illegitimate regime'' with ``no legal basis for its 
        existence'', and accused the United States of using Israel as a proxy to 
        control the region and its oil resources;
Whereas President Ahmadinejad continues to deny existence of the Jewish nation 
        and stated on September 23, 2007, that ``Israel is not a nation'';
Whereas, on March 3, 2008 at a conference in support of Hamas in Tehran, Iran's 
        Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the State of Israel a 
        ``cancerous tumor'' and called for ``resistance'' against the Jewish 
        state;
Whereas, on February 3, 2009, Iran launched its first satellite into orbit, 
        which has dual use capabilities that could be applied to missiles;
Whereas, on May 20, 2009, Iran successfully tested a surface-to-surface long 
        range missile with an approximate range of 1,200 miles;
Whereas Iran continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons;
Whereas Iran has refused to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency with 
        full transparency and access to its nuclear program; and
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1803 states that according 
        the International Atomic Energy Agency, ``Iran has not established full 
        and sustained suspension of all enrichment related and reprocessing 
        activities and heavy-water-related projects as set out in resolution 
        1696 (2006), 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) nor resumed its cooperation 
        with the IAEA under the Additional Protocol, nor taken the other steps 
        required by the IAEA Board of Governors, nor complied with the 
        provisions of Security Council resolution 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006) and 
        1747 (2007) . . .'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) expresses its unequivocal support for the State of 
        Israel's inalienable right to defend itself in the face of an 
        imminent nuclear or military threat from Iran, terrorist 
        organizations, and the countries that harbor them, 
        notwithstanding some statements made by the Obama 
        Administration;
            (2) reaffirms the United States bond with Israel and 
        pledges to continue to work with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the 
        Israeli Government, and the people of Israel to ensure that the 
        sovereign nation continues to receive critical economic and 
        military assistance, including missile defense capabilities, 
        needed to address the threat of Iran; and
            (3) condemns the Government of Iran for its continued 
        support of terrorism and its hateful rhetoric toward Israel.
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