[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 574 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 574

Calling on the United Nations to take concerted actions against leaders 
  in Iran for their statements calling for the destruction of another 
                  United Nations Member State, Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 20, 2012

Mrs. Gillibrand (for herself, Ms. Ayotte, Mrs. Hutchison, Mrs. Shaheen, 
 Mr. Kirk, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Cornyn, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Moran, Mr. Cardin, 
     Mr. Hoeven, Mr. Brown of Ohio, Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. 
 Lautenberg, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Schumer, Mr. Begich, and 
Mr. Johanns) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                   the Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Calling on the United Nations to take concerted actions against leaders 
  in Iran for their statements calling for the destruction of another 
                  United Nations Member State, Israel.

Whereas, on August 2, 2012, President of Iran Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated that 
        ``anyone who loves freedom and justice must strive for the annihilation 
        of the Zionist regime in order to pave the way for world justice and 
        freedom'';
Whereas, on August 17, 2012, President Ahmadinejad gave a televised statement 
        that ``the Zionist regime and the Zionists are a cancerous tumor,'' and 
        that ``the nations of the region will soon finish off the usurper 
        Zionists in the Palestinian land,'' contending that ``with the grace of 
        God and help of the nations, in the new Middle East there will be no 
        trace of the Americans and Zionists'';
Whereas, on February 3, 2012, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei told an audience 
        that ``the Zionist regime is a real cancerous tumor that should be cut 
        and will be cut, God Willing'';
Whereas, on August 17, 2012, leader Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, addressing 
        worshippers at Tehran University, stated that ``Zionists understand only 
        the language of force'' and claimed that ``the Zionist regime will meet 
        destruction through unity in the Islamic world'';
Whereas, in 2009 and 2011 speeches before the United Nations General Assembly, 
        President Ahmadinejad insulted Israel, called into question its very 
        existence, and denied the fact that there was a Holocaust;
Whereas other leaders in Iran have made similar statements, and the Government 
        of Iran has displayed inflammatory symbols that express similar intent;
Whereas the Government of Iran funds, trains, and supports terrorist groups, 
        including Hamas, Hezbollah, and Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine 
        among many others, all of which have murdered United States citizens, 
        Israelis, and non-Israeli Jews and are determined to destroy Israel, and 
        continues to support the Government of Syria in its continued 
        oppression, violence, and abuse of its people;
Whereas, on August 30, 2012, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 
        reported that the Government of Iran has doubled its capacity to enrich 
        uranium to 20 percent purity at Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant 
        since May 2012;
Whereas the longstanding policy of the Iranian regime is aimed at destroying the 
        democratic State of Israel, a vital ally and longstanding friend of the 
        United States, which is confirmed by statements such as those made by 
        President Ahmadinejad and Supreme Leader Khamenei demonstrating the 
        threat of a nuclear-armed Iran;
Whereas, 67 years ago, the United Nations was founded in the wake of the 
        Holocaust, the Nazi genocide carried out during World War II that 
        resulted in the slaughter of 6,000,000 Jews in Europe, in order to 
        ``save succeeding generations from the scourge of war'' and uphold and 
        protect the ``dignity and worth of the human person'';
Whereas Article 2, Section 4, of the United Nations Charter, to which Iran has 
        agreed as a Member State of the United Nations, requires all Member 
        States to ``refrain in their international relations from the threat or 
        use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence 
        of any state'';
Whereas the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of 
        Genocide, done at Paris December 9, 1948 (commonly referred to as the 
        ``Genocide Convention''), defines genocide as, among other things, the 
        act of killing members of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group 
        with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, the targeted group;
Whereas Article 3 of the Genocide Convention prohibits conspiracy to commit 
        genocide, as well as ``direct and public incitement to commit 
        genocide'';
Whereas Article 4 of the Genocide Convention provides that individuals 
        committing any of the listed genocidal crimes shall be punished 
        ``whether they are constitutionally responsible rulers, public officials 
        or private individuals'';
Whereas 142 Member States of the United Nations, including Iran, have ratified 
        or acceded to the Genocide Convention and thereby pledged to prosecute 
        those individuals who violate its criteria for incitement to commit 
        genocide, as well as those individuals who commit genocide directly;
Whereas, on August 18, 2012, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon 
        condemned the Government of Iran's ``offensive and inflammatory 
        statements'' and his office reiterated that, ``in accordance with the 
        United Nations Charter, all members must refrain from the threat or use 
        of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of 
        any state''; and
Whereas, on November 9, 2006, an international coalition of 29 nongovernmental 
        organizations urged the Government of Iran to renounce President 
        Ahmadinejad's call for Israel to be wiped off the map: Now, therefore, 
        be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) condemns, in the strongest possible terms, Supreme 
        Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President of Iran Mahmoud 
        Ahmadinejad's offensive remarks, contemptible statements, and 
        reprehensible policies aimed at the destruction of the State of 
        Israel, and urges all United Nations Member States to do the 
        same;
            (2) calls on the United Nations Security Council to take 
        more concerted actions against Iran for blatantly violating the 
        United Nations Charter, including by requesting that the 
        prosecutor of the International Criminal Court investigate 
        leaders in Iran for violating the Convention on the Prevention 
        and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, done at Paris December 
        9, 1948 (commonly referred to as the ``Genocide Convention''), 
        and Article 2, Section 4, of the United Nations Charter;
            (3) further calls on all Member States of the United 
        Nations to fully implement existing United Nations Security 
        Council resolutions sanctioning Iran and to take additional 
        stronger unilateral diplomatic and economic measures to prevent 
        the Government of Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, which 
        would be both a dangerous violation of the Treaty on the Non-
        Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at Washington, London, 
        and Moscow July 1, 1968, and entered into force March 5, 1970, 
        and a potential means to the end of carrying out President 
        Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel;
            (4) further calls on the United Nations Security Council 
        and all Member States of the United Nations to consider 
        targeted sanctions, travel bans, and other measures linked to 
        the cessation of the Government of Iran's incitement to hatred 
        and genocide;
            (5) calls for the United Nations Secretary General's 
        Advisory Committee on the Prevention of Genocide to implement 
        its mandate to act as a mechanism of early warning, and to make 
        recommendations to the United Nations Security Council to 
        monitor and report on threats of genocide made by leaders in 
        Iran;
            (6) further calls on parties to the Genocide Convention to 
        file a complaint against leaders in Iran before the 
        International Court of Justice for the failure by the 
        Government of Iran to abide by its obligations under Articles 
        1, 4, and 5 of the Genocide Convention; and
            (7) reaffirms the unwavering strategic partnership and 
        close friendship between the United States and Israel and 
        reasserts the steadfast commitment of the people and the 
        Government of the United States to defend the right of Israel 
        to exist as a free and democratic state.
                                 <all>