[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 35 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. CON. RES. 35

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should continue 
    to exercise its veto in the United Nations Security Council on 
      resolutions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 19, 2016

    Mr. Rubio (for himself and Mr. Manchin) submitted the following 
 concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should continue 
    to exercise its veto in the United Nations Security Council on 
      resolutions regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

Whereas it is long-standing practice of the United States Government that a 
        peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must come 
        through direct, bilateral negotiations between the two parties;
Whereas President Barack Obama has stated this longstanding practice at the 
        United Nations General Assembly in 2011, expressing ``genuine peace can 
        only be realized between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves'';
Whereas it is long-standing practice of the United States Government to veto any 
        United Nations Security Council resolution dictating terms, conditions, 
        and timelines on the peace process;
Whereas President Barack Obama also expressed before the United Nations General 
        Assembly in 2011, that ``peace will not come through statements and 
        resolutions at the United Nations--if it were that easy, it would have 
        been accomplished by now'';
Whereas Yasser Arafat committed by letter dated September 9, 1993, to then Prime 
        Minister Yitzhak Rabin, ``The PLO commits itself to the Middle East 
        peace process and to the peaceful resolution of the conflict between the 
        two sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to permanent 
        status will be resolved by negotiation.'';
Whereas the United States has vetoed 42 unconstructive, anti-Israel resolutions 
        in the United Nations Security Council since 1972;
Whereas after the United States voted against a resolution on Palestinian 
        statehood, the United States Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha 
        Power, said the proposal was ``deeply unbalanced'', had ``unconstructive 
        deadlines'', and failed to take ``account of Israel's security 
        concerns'';
Whereas the United Nations is not the appropriate venue and should not be a 
        forum used for seeking unilateral action, recognition, or dictating 
        guidelines on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process;
Whereas in the two most recently completed United Nations General Assembly 
        sessions, 21 of the 25 (68th Session) and 20 of the 23 (69th Session) 
        resolutions attacked Israel;
Whereas the human rights bodies and agencies of the United Nations, such as the 
        United Nations Human Rights Council, have consistently demonstrated 
        unwarranted bias against Israel; and
Whereas since 2006, 7 of the 23 Council's sessions have focused on Israel and 61 
        of their 116 condemnations have unfairly singled out and targeted 
        Israel: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That it is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) a durable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
        process can only come through direct, bilateral negotiations 
        between Israel and the Palestinians;
            (2) the United Nations cannot be a truly neutral arbiter of 
        the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and
            (3) the United States Government should continue to uphold 
        its practice of vetoing any United Nations Security Council 
        resolution that inserts the Council into the peace process, 
        unilaterally recognizes a Palestinian state, makes declarations 
        concerning Israeli-controlled territories, or dictates terms 
        and a timeline for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
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