[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 293 Introduced in House (IH)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 293
Expressing concern over anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement within
the Palestinian Authority.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 3, 2015
Ms. Ros-Lehtinen (for herself and Mr. Deutch) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing concern over anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement within
the Palestinian Authority.
Whereas the 1995 Interim Agreement on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, commonly
referred to as Oslo II, specifically details that Israel and the
Palestinian Authority shall ``abstain from incitement, including hostile
propaganda, against each other and, without derogating from the
principle of freedom of expression, shall take legal measures to prevent
such incitement by any organizations, groups or individuals within their
jurisdiction'';
Whereas in spite of the Oslo II agreement, the President of the Palestinian
Authority, Mahmoud Abbas repeatedly describes released Palestinian
terrorists as ``heroes'' and Fatah's military wing publicly threatens to
kidnap soldiers and launch missiles at Israel on the Fatah Facebook page
and website;
Whereas the Palestinian Authority pays monthly ``salaries'' to families of
Palestinian terrorists incarcerated in Israel;
Whereas in June 2013, Abbas referenced Israeli acts which ``indicate an evil and
dangerous plot to destroy Al-Aqsa and build the alleged temple'';
Whereas in a November 2014 address commemorating the 10th anniversary of Yasser
Arafat's death, Abbas said that as Israel has no claim to Jerusalem, he
will not allow the Temple Mount to be ``contaminated by Jews'', and
threatened that Jewish prayer at the site would cause a ``devastating
religious war'';
Whereas in November 2014, jailed terrorist and Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti
called for ``comprehensive resistance and the rifle'' against Israel;
Whereas Palestinian Authority Deputy Minister of Information Al-Mutawakkil Taha
told official Palestian Authority daily newspaper Al Hayat Al Jadida in
early 2012 that, ``Israel has gone beyond all forms of oppression
practiced by fascism throughout history'' and that it``does more than
racist discrimination and ethnic cleansing'';
Whereas official Palestinian websites and Facebook pages, including those of
Abbas' Presidential Guards and Palestinian Authority schools,
recurrently show maps of the land without reference to Israel and in
November 2012, the Palestinian Authority erected a statue in central
Bethlehem square that displayed a map of the ``state of Palestine''
covering all of Israel;
Whereas the Oslo II agreement further dictates that Israel and the Palestinian
Authority ``will ensure that their respective educational systems
contribute to the peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples and
to peace in the entire region'';
Whereas Zayzafuna, a monthly educational magazine for children sponsored by the
Palestinian National Committee for Education, Culture and Sciences,
regularly presents Adolf Hitler as a role model and in January 2012,
Facebook pages of several Palestinian Authority high schools posted
images of Hitler with his quotation, ``I could have killed all the Jews
in the world, but I left a few so that you would know why I killed
them'';
Whereas a teacher in a summer camp near Nablus in July 2013 can be seen in video
footage leading children in a call and response saying, ``Palestine is
an Arab land from the river to the sea. We want Haifa, we want Acre'';
Whereas in July 2013, Palestinian official television aired a video of two girls
reciting a poem that calls Jews ``barbaric monkeys, wretched pigs'' and
asserts that Jerusalem is not for Jews, because Jerusalem ``vomits'' out
the Jews who are said to be ``filth'' and ``impure'';
Whereas section 7040 (e) of the Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2015, requires the Secretary of State, if the
President waives section 7040 (a) of that same Act, to ``certify and
report to the Committees on Appropriations prior to the obligation of
funds that . . . the Palestinian Authority is acting to counter
incitement of violence against Israelis and is supporting activities
aimed at promoting peace, coexistence, and security cooperation with
Israel'';
Whereas the Palestinian Authority has not fully lived up to its prior agreements
with Israel to end incitement and should do more to prepare the
Palestinian people for peace with Israel: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses support and admiration for individuals and
organizations working to encourage cooperation between Israelis
and Palestinians, including--
(A) Professor Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, who took
students from al-Quds University in Jerusalem to visit
Auschwitz in March 2014 only to return to death threats
by fellow Palestinians and expulsion from his teacher's
union;
(B) the Israel Palestine Center for Research and
Information, the only joint Israeli-Palestinian public
policy think-tank;
(C) United Hatzalah, a nonprofit, fully volunteer
Emergency Medical Services organization that,
mobilizing volunteers who are religious or secular
Jews, Arabs, Muslims, and Christians, provides EMS
services to all people in Israel regardless of race,
religion, or national origin; and
(D) Breaking the Impasse, an apolitical initiative
of Palestinian and Israeli business and civil society
leaders who advocate for a two-state solution and an
urgent diplomatic solution to the conflict;
(2) reiterates strong condemnation of anti-Israel and anti-
Semitic incitement in the Palestinian Authority as antithetical
to the cause of peace;
(3) urges President Abbas and Palestinian Authority
officials to discontinue all official incitement and exert
influence to discourage anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement
in Palestinian civil society; and
(4) directs the United States Department of State to
regularly monitor and publish information on all official
incitement by the Palestinian Authority against Jews and the
State of Israel.
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