[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 526 Agreed to Senate (ATS)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 526

Supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 29, 2014

  Mr. Reid (for himself, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Corker, Mr. 
 Cardin, and Mr. Graham) submitted the following resolution; which was 
                        considered and agreed to

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas, and for other 
                               purposes.

Whereas Hamas, an organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by 
        the United States Department of State since 1997, has fired over 2,500 
        rockets indiscriminately from Gaza into Israel;
Whereas Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas's constant barrage of 
        rockets and to destroy the matrix of tunnels Hamas uses to smuggle 
        weapons and Hamas fighters into Israel to carry out terrorist attacks;
Whereas the Government of Israel has taken significant steps to protect 
        civilians in Gaza, including dropping leaflets in Gaza neighborhoods in 
        advance of Israeli military attacks, calling Palestinians on the phone 
        urging them to evacuate certain areas before the military strikes 
        targets, and issuing warnings to civilians in advance of firing on 
        buildings;
Whereas Israel's attacks have focused on terrorist targets such as Hamas's 
        munitions storage sites, areas sheltering Hamas's rocket systems, 
        Hamas's weapons manufacturing sites, the homes of militant leaders, and 
        on the vast labyrinth of tunnels Hamas's fighters use to penetrate 
        Israel's territory and attack Israelis;
Whereas Hamas uses rockets to indiscriminately target civilians in Israel;
Whereas Israel has accepted and implemented numerous ceasefire agreements that 
        Hamas has rejected;
Whereas Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel during a 24-hour truce that 
        Hamas had itself proposed;
Whereas Israel embraced the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire agreement, which Hamas 
        resoundingly rejected on July 27, 2014;
Whereas Hamas intentionally uses civilians as human shields;
Whereas Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist;
Whereas Israel's Iron Dome has protected Israel's civilian population from the 
        over 2,500 rockets that Hamas has indiscriminately fired into Israel 
        since July 7, 2014;
Whereas, without Iron Dome's ability to intercept and destroy Hamas's missiles, 
        Israeli neighborhoods would have been significantly damaged and Israeli 
        casualties would have been much higher;
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to accept a biased 
        resolution establishing a Commission of Inquiry to determine if Israel 
        violated human rights and humanitarian law during the ongoing conflict 
        with Gaza; and
Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution makes no mention of 
        investigating Hamas's indiscriminate rocket attacks against Israel, nor 
        Hamas's policy of using Palestinian civilians as human shields: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) laments all loss of innocent civilian life;
            (2) condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council's 
        resolution on July 23, 2014, which calls for yet another 
        prejudged investigation of Israel while making no mention of 
        Hamas's continued assault against Israel, and also calls for an 
        investigation into potential human rights violations by Israel 
        in the current Gaza conflict without mentioning Hamas's assault 
        against innocent civilians and its use of civilian shields;
            (3) supports Israel's right to defend itself against 
        Hamas's unrelenting and indiscriminate rocket assault into 
        Israel and Israel's right to destroy Hamas's elaborate tunnel 
        system into Israel's territory;
            (4) condemns Hamas's terrorist actions and use of civilians 
        as human shields;
            (5) supports United States mediation efforts for a durable 
        ceasefire agreement that immediately ends Hamas's rocket 
        assault and leads to the demilitarization of Gaza; and
            (6) supports additional funding the Government of Israel 
        needs to replenish Iron Dome missiles and enhance Israel's 
        defensive capabilities.
                                 <all>