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

112th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 268

Reaffirming the United States commitment to a negotiated settlement of 
  the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct Israeli-Palestinian 
                 negotiations, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 13, 2011

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Reaffirming the United States commitment to a negotiated settlement of 
  the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct Israeli-Palestinian 
                 negotiations, and for other purposes.

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.
                                 <all>