[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 238 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 238

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United 
          States efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 23, 2013

    Ms. Lee of California (for herself, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. 
 Grijalva, Mr. George Miller of California, and Mr. Conyers) submitted 
   the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on 
                            Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United 
          States efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace.

Whereas United States support for a two-state solution to the Israeli-
        Palestinian conflict is based on the recognition that this solution can 
        both best serve Israel's security and permanence as a Jewish homeland 
        while helping the Palestinian people achieve a future of independence 
        and national self-determination;
Whereas a true and lasting two-state solution is essential to the resolution of 
        Israeli-Arab disputes and to the achievement of long-term peace and 
        stability in the broader Middle East;
Whereas a true and lasting two-state solution is in the national security 
        interests of the United States and to ensure the safety and security of 
        Israel;
Whereas a true and lasting two-state solution will only be established through 
        resolution of outstanding issues between Israel and the recognized 
        leadership of the Palestinian people;
Whereas successive United States Presidents and successive United States 
        Congresses have recognized that promoting Israeli-Palestinian and 
        Israeli-Arab peace is an integral element of the United States 
        commitment to Israel's security and its survival, as well as to the 
        stability of the entire Middle East region;
Whereas successive United States administrations, led by Presidents from both 
        parties, have invested substantial diplomatic resources in support of 
        peace efforts, including under--

    (1) President Ronald Reagan, the 1982 Reagan Plan for Middle East 
Peace;

    (2) President George H.W. Bush, the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference;

    (3) President Bill Clinton, the 1993 Oslo Accords, the 1995 Wye River 
Memorandum, the 2000 Camp David Summit, and the 2000 Clinton Parameters;

    (4) President George W. Bush, the 2001 ``Sharm El-Sheikh Fact-Finding 
Committee Report'', also known as the Mitchell Report, the 2003 ``Roadmap 
for Peace in the Middle East'', the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access, 
and the 2007 Annapolis Conference; and

    (5) under President Barack Obama, the 2009 appointment of Senator 
George Mitchell as the United States Special Envoy for Middle East peace, 
and the efforts since then to restart Israeli-Palestinian peace talks;

Whereas Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, continues to launch 
        rocket and missile attacks against Israel, has not disavowed violence, 
        and does not recognize or abide by existing binding agreements;
Whereas the State of Israel is subject to existential threats from those seeking 
        to deny the deep historical, cultural, and spiritual connection of the 
        Jewish people to their homeland;
Whereas on March 21, 2013, while speaking in both Ramallah and Jerusalem, 
        President Obama stated that the Palestinian people deserve ``an end to 
        occupation and the daily indignities that come with it.'';
Whereas President Obama added, ``It is not right to prevent Palestinians from 
        farming their lands; to restrict a student's ability to move around the 
        West Bank; or to displace Palestinian families from their home. Neither 
        occupation nor expulsion is the answer. Just as Israelis built a state 
        in their homeland, Palestinians have a right to be a free people in 
        their own land.'';
Whereas successive United States administrations have opposed Israeli 
        settlements in the occupied territories, recognizing them to be a 
        political and security liability for Israel and an impediment to efforts 
        to achieve a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, 
        among other reasons; and
Whereas the United States goal of helping to secure Israel's security and safety 
        as a democratic homeland for the Jewish people well into the future is 
        best served through achievement of an agreement between Israel and the 
        Palestinians to resolve their conflict: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms its commitment to supporting United States 
        actions that promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians 
        and are designed to ensure the safety and security of Israel 
        and its people;
            (2) reaffirms its support for previous agreements reached 
        between Israel and the Palestinians and adopted by third 
        parties that recognize Israel's right to exist and promote a 
        Palestinian state to meet the legitimate aspirations of the 
        Palestinian people for self-determination within their own 
        nation;
            (3) commends the Obama administration and its predecessors 
        for their resolute commitment to Israel's survival and security 
        and for their efforts to demonstrate this commitment through 
        the promotion of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to achieve a 
        resolution of their conflict and the establishment of a long-
        term peace in the region;
            (4) calls on Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, 
        denounce violence, abide by existing agreements, and to prevent 
        rocket and missile attacks against Israel;
            (5) calls upon states, international organizations, and 
        individuals to oppose efforts to deny the deep historical, 
        cultural, and spiritual connection of the Jewish people to 
        Israel;
            (6) calls upon Arab and Muslim-majority states to build 
        upon efforts such as the Arab Peace Initiative, combat anti-
        Israel extremism, and otherwise work towards full normalization 
        of state-to-state relations with the State of Israel;
            (7) calls on the Israeli Government to cease support for 
        and to prevent further settlement expansion in the Occupied 
        Territories;
            (8) commends the Obama administration for supporting 
        Israel's Iron Dome Missile Defense System to help intercept 
        rocket attacks and prevent them from devastating civilian 
        populations in Israel;
            (9) calls on Israel and Hamas to uphold the existing 
        ceasefire agreement and exercise strong caution so as to avoid 
        an escalation that would only lead to further violence, 
        destruction, and loss of life;
            (10) applauds President Obama's recent efforts at the 
        beginning of his second term to initiate a new, diplomatic 
        effort with the mandate for negotiations to achieve a peace 
        agreement between Israel and the Palestinian people and urges 
        continued robust efforts towards a peaceful resolution; and
            (11) calls on President Obama to establish an achievable 
        timeline for negotiations backed by a strong international 
        coalition of stakeholders including ``The Quartet'' to provide 
        assurance to the negotiating parties that their agreement will 
        be enduring and enforceable.
                                 <all>