[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Con. Res. 29 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. CON. RES. 29

     Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 2, 2017

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
     Recognizing the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration.

Whereas the Jewish people have had a homeland in modern-day Israel for more than 
        3,000 years;
Whereas, on November 2, 1917, United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Lord Arthur 
        Balfour wrote to Lord Walter Rothschild, to be declared to the Zionist 
        Federation, a letter declaring, on behalf of the Government of the 
        United Kingdom, support for a home for the Jewish people in the former 
        Ottoman district of Palestine;
Whereas this letter, known as the Balfour Declaration, was ratified into 
        international law by the League of Nations on July 24, 1922;
Whereas, on September 21, 1922, President Warren G. Harding signed House Joint 
        Resolution 322, after unanimous support from the House of 
        Representatives and the Senate, favoring the establishment, in the 
        former Ottoman district of Palestine, of a national home for the Jewish 
        people;
Whereas the Balfour Declaration clearly recognized and sought to uphold the 
        ``civil and religious rights of the existing non-Jewish communities in 
        Palestine'', as well as the ``rights and political status enjoyed by 
        Jews in any other country''; and
Whereas the Balfour Declaration was a significant part of the chain of events 
        that led to the establishment of the modern State of Israel on May 14, 
        1948: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), 
That Congress--
            (1) commemorates the centenary of the Balfour Declaration;
            (2) affirms its commitment to maintaining the strongest of 
        bilateral ties with the State of Israel; and
            (3) recognizes the importance of the establishment of the 
        modern State of Israel as a secure and democratic homeland for 
        the Jewish people.
                                 <all>