[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 144 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 144

Commemorating the anniversary of United States recognition of Jerusalem 
                 as the capital of the State of Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 6, 2018

 Mr. Biggs (for himself, Mr. Lamborn, Mr. Buck, Mr. Byrne, Mr. Harper, 
Mr. Rokita, Mr. Harris, Mr. Johnson of Ohio, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. Norman, 
 Mr. Pittenger, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Coffman, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Mooney of 
  West Virginia, Mr. King of Iowa, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. 
 Latta, Mr. Meadows, Mr. Schweikert, Mr. Williams, Mr. Jody B. Hice of 
  Georgia, Mr. Griffith, Mr. Bacon, Mr. Wilson of South Carolina, Mr. 
  Mast, Mr. Weber of Texas, Mr. Ratcliffe, Mr. Gibbs, Mrs. Lesko, Mr. 
   Kustoff of Tennessee, Mr. Burgess, Mr. Loudermilk, Mr. Gaetz, Mr. 
Rouzer, Mr. DesJarlais, Mr. Budd, Mr. Emmer, Mr. Brat, Mrs. Handel, Mr. 
Cloud, and Mr. Scalise) submitted the following concurrent resolution; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Commemorating the anniversary of United States recognition of Jerusalem 
                 as the capital of the State of Israel.

Whereas, more than three thousand years ago, King David established Jerusalem as 
        the capital of Israel;
Whereas Jerusalem is the spiritual home of the Jewish people;
Whereas even during periods of exile and oppression, the Jewish people continued 
        to view Jerusalem as the sacred city to which they longed to return;
Whereas once the modern State of Israel declared its independence on May 14, 
        1948, Jerusalem was named its capital;
Whereas Jerusalem was divided by war at the time of the State of Israel's 
        independence, and the Jewish people were prevented from visiting holy 
        sites in East Jerusalem for years afterward;
Whereas while the United States was one of the first nations to recognize the 
        State of Israel's independence and continues to be Israel's strongest 
        ally, the United States did not officially recognize Jerusalem as 
        Israel's capital;
Whereas the United States subsequently established its Embassy in Tel Aviv, not 
        Jerusalem, in 1949;
Whereas after the conclusion of the Six-Day War in 1967, the State of Israel 
        reestablished control over the entirety of Jerusalem;
Whereas, since 1967, Jerusalem has been a free city in which not only Jews, but 
        individuals of all faiths, are welcome to worship;
Whereas, in 1980, the Israeli Knesset declared Jerusalem its ``united and 
        eternal capital'';
Whereas, in 1995, Congress unanimously passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act, stating 
        that ``Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of 
        Israel'' and the United States Embassy reestablished there;
Whereas Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump 
        have all expressed support for recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of 
        the State of Israel; and
Whereas it is expected custom for the United States to recognize the self-
        declared capital cities of its allies, and to operate its Embassies from 
        such cities: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the anniversary of the Trump 
        administration's public recognition of Jerusalem as the capital 
        of the State of Israel on December 6, 2017;
            (2) applauds the subsequent relocation of the United States 
        Embassy to Jerusalem on May 14, 2018; and
            (3) reaffirms the eternal friendship between the United 
        States and the State of Israel.
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