[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 226 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 226

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 23, 2017

     Ms. Lee (for herself 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 and 
        democratic 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 
        bipartisan 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) President Barack Obama, the 2013 appointment of Ambassador Martin 
S. Indyk as the United States Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian 
Negotiations and the 2014 appointment of Frank Lowenstein as the Acting 
United States Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, and the 
tireless efforts of Secretary of State John Kerry to pursue a lasting 
resolution to the conflict via negotiations with Israel and the 
Palestinians;

Whereas Hamas does not recognize Israel's right to exist, has repeatedly 
        launched rocket and missile attacks against and built tunnels into 
        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 September 20, 2016, while speaking to the 71st Session of the United 
        Nations General Assembly, President Obama stated that ``. . . surely, 
        Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject 
        incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel, but Israel recognizes 
        that it cannot permanently occupy and settle Palestinian land. We all 
        have to do better as leaders in tamping down, rather than encouraging, a 
        notion of identity that leads us to diminish others.'';
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 . . . 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 the loss of more than 2,100 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, along with 
        66 Israeli soldiers and seven civilians in Israel during the summer of 
        2014 surrounding Israel's Operation Protective Edge, demonstrate that 
        there is no military solution to this conflict and Hamas' terror tactics 
        will never lead to a Palestinian future of self-determination;
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, which saved countless Israeli lives 
        during Operation Protective Edge;
            (9) calls on Israel and Hamas to uphold the existing cease-
        fire 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 the Obama administration's recent efforts to 
        facilitate 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 Trump to continue his predecessor's 
        work towards a negotiated, two-state agreement ending the 
        conflict backed by a strong international coalition of 
        stakeholders including Arab and Muslim majority states to 
        provide assurance to the negotiating parties that their 
        agreement will be enduring and enforceable.
                                 <all>