[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 268 Engrossed in House (EH)]

H. Res. 268

                In the House of Representatives, U. S.,

                                                          July 7, 2011.
Whereas the policy of the United States since 2002 has been to support a two-
        state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict;
Whereas a true and lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians can only be 
        achieved through direct negotiations between the parties and acceptance 
        of each other's right to exist;
Whereas Palestine Liberation Organization Chair Yassir Arafat pledged in a 
        letter to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on September 9, 1993, 
        that ``all outstanding issues relating to permanent status will be 
        resolved through negotiations'' a pledge that served as a critical basis 
        for the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Principles signed 4 days later;
Whereas the unity agreement signed by Fatah and Hamas on May 4, 2011, was 
        reached without Hamas being required to renounce violence, accept 
        Israel's right to exist, and accept prior agreements made by the 
        Palestinians (the ``Quartet conditions'');
Whereas Hamas, an organization responsible for the death of more than 500 
        innocent civilians, including 24 United States citizens, has been 
        designated by the United States Government as a Foreign Terrorist 
        Organization and a specially designated terrorist organization;
Whereas Hamas kidnapped and has held Israeli sergeant Gilad Shalit in captivity 
        in violation of international norms since June 25, 2006;
Whereas Hamas continues to forcefully reject the possibility of peace with 
        Israel;
Whereas Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accepted a two-state 
        solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and has consistently 
        advocated for immediate direct negotiations with the Palestinians, who, 
        in turn, have prevented negotiations by insisting on unprecedented pre-
        conditions;
Whereas, on April 22, 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton stated, 
        ``We will not deal with nor in any way fund a Palestinian government 
        that includes Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, 
        recognized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the 
        Palestinian Authority'';
Whereas United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, stated on 
        February 18, 2011, that it was ``unwise'' for the United Nations to 
        attempt to resolve key issues between the Israelis and Palestinians;
Whereas Palestinian leaders are pursuing a coordinated strategy to seek 
        recognition of a Palestinian state within the United Nations and 
        directly from foreign governments;
Whereas, on December 15, 2010, the House adopted House Resolution 1765, which 
        reaffirmed that the House of Representatives supports a negotiated 
        solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a 
        democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian 
        state, living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition 
        and opposes any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a 
        Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and 
        the Palestinians;
Whereas current United States law precludes assistance to a Palestinian 
        Authority which shares power with Hamas unless that Authority publicly 
        accepts Israel's right to exist and adheres to all prior agreements and 
        understandings with the United States and Israel;
Whereas the United States annually provides more than $550 million annually and 
        has provided more than $3.5 billion cumulatively in direct bilateral 
        assistance to the Palestinians, who are among the world's largest 
        recipients of foreign aid per capita;
Whereas United States aid to the Palestinians is predicated on a good faith 
        commitment from the Palestinians to the peace process including direct 
        negotiations with Israel;
Whereas Palestinian abandonment of the Quartet conditions and inclusion of Hamas 
        in a government would jeopardize the positive steps the Palestinian 
        Authority has taken in building institutions and improving security in 
        the West Bank in recent years; and
Whereas efforts to form a unity government without accepting the Quartet 
        conditions, to bypass negotiations and unilaterally declare a 
        Palestinian state, or to appeal to the United Nations or other 
        international forums, or directly to foreign governments for recognition 
        of a Palestinian state, violate the underlying principles of the Oslo 
        Accords, the Road Map, and other relevant Middle East peace process 
        agreements, all of which require resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian 
        conflict through direct negotiations only: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated solution to the 
        Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic, 
        Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, 
        living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition;
            (2) states its firm belief that any Palestinian unity government 
        must publicly and formally forswear terrorism, accept Israel's right to 
        exist, and reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel;
            (3) reiterates its strong opposition to any attempt to establish or 
        seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement 
        negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians;
            (4) urges Palestinian leaders to--
                    (A) ensure that any Palestinian government will seek peace 
                with Israel;
                    (B) cease all efforts at circumventing the negotiation 
                process, including through a unilateral declaration of statehood 
                or by seeking recognition of a Palestinian state from other 
                nations or the United Nations;
                    (C) resume direct negotiations with Israel immediately and 
                without preconditions; and
                    (D) take appropriate measures to counter incitement to 
                violence and fulfill all prior Palestinian commitments, 
                including dismantling the terrorist infrastructure embodied in 
                Hamas;
            (5) supports the Administration's opposition to a unilateral 
        declaration of a Palestinian state and its use of the veto at the United 
        Nations Security Council on February 18, 2011, the most recent example 
        of a longstanding United States policy of vetoing unbalanced United 
        Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Israel and the Israeli-
        Palestinian peace process;
            (6) calls upon the Administration to announce that it will veto any 
        resolution on Palestinian statehood that comes before the United Nations 
        Security Council which is not a result of agreements reached between 
        Israel and the Palestinians;
            (7) calls upon the Administration to lead a diplomatic effort to 
        oppose a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and to oppose 
        recognition of a Palestinian state by other nations, within the United 
        Nations, and in other international forums prior to achievement of a 
        final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians;
            (8) affirms that Palestinian efforts to circumvent direct 
        negotiations and pursue recognition of statehood prior to agreement with 
        Israel will harm United States-Palestinian relations and will have 
        serious implications for the United States assistance programs for the 
        Palestinians and the Palestinians Authority;
            (9) supports the position taken by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham 
        Clinton on April 22, 2009, that the United States ``will not deal with 
        or in any way fund a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless 
        and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel and agreed to 
        follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian Authority.'';
            (10) urges the administration to consider suspending assistance to 
        the Palestinian Authority pending a review of the unity agreement; and
            (11) reaffirms the United States statutory requirement precluding 
        assistance to a Palestinian Authority that includes Hamas unless that 
        Authority and all its ministers publicly accept Israel's right to exist 
        and all prior agreements and understandings with the United States and 
        Israel.
            Attest:

                                                                          Clerk.