[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 518 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 518

 Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United 
 States efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a 
                     negotiated two-state solution.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 24, 2019

 Mr. Lowenthal (for himself and Mr. Connolly) 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 resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a 
                     negotiated two-state solution.

Whereas the special relationship between the United States and Israel is rooted 
        in shared national security interests and shared values of democracy, 
        human rights, and the rule of law;
Whereas the United States has worked for decades to strengthen Israel's security 
        through assistance and cooperation on defense and intelligence matters 
        in order to enhance the safety of United States and Israeli citizens;
Whereas the United States remains unwavering in its commitment to help Israel 
        address the myriad challenges it faces, including terrorism, regional 
        instability, horrifying violence in neighboring states, and hostile 
        regimes that call for its destruction;
Whereas the United States has long sought a just, stable, and lasting solution 
        to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that recognizes the Palestinian 
        right to self-determination and offers Israel long-term security and 
        full normalization with its neighbors;
Whereas for more than 20 years, Presidents of the United States from both 
        political parties and Israeli Prime Ministers have supported reaching a 
        two-state solution that establishes a Palestinian state coexisting side 
        by side with Israel in peace and security;
Whereas for more than 20 years, Presidents of the United States from both 
        political parties have opposed settlement expansion, moves toward 
        unilateral annexation of territory, and efforts to achieve Palestinian 
        statehood status outside the framework of negotiations with Israel;
Whereas United States administrations from both political parties have put 
        forward proposals to provide a framework for negotiations toward a two-
        state solution, including the parameters put forward by President Bill 
        Clinton in December 2000, the Road Map proposed by President George W. 
        Bush in April 2003, and the principles set forth by President Barack 
        Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry in December 2016;
Whereas ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is vital to the interests of 
        both parties and the leadership of both parties must negotiate in good 
        faith in order to achieve peace; and
Whereas delays to a political solution to the conflict between Israelis and 
        Palestinians pose a threat to the ability to maintain a Jewish and 
        democratic state of Israel and the establishment of a viable, democratic 
        Palestinian state: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that--
            (1) only the outcome of a two-state solution that enhances 
        stability and security for Israel, Palestinians, and their 
        neighbors can both ensure the state of Israel's survival as a 
        Jewish and democratic state and fulfill the legitimate 
        aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own;
            (2) while the United States remains indispensable to any 
        viable effort to achieve that goal, only the Israelis and the 
        Palestinians can make the difficult choices necessary to end 
        their conflict;
            (3) the United States, with the support of regional and 
        international partners, can play a constructive role toward 
        ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by putting forward a 
        proposal for achieving a two-state solution that is consistent 
        with previous United States proposals to resolve the conflict's 
        final status issues in ways that recognize the Palestinian 
        right to self-determination and enhance Israel's long-term 
        security and normalization with its neighbors; and
            (4) a United States proposal to achieve a just, stable, and 
        lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should 
        expressly endorse a two-state solution as its objective and 
        discourage steps by either side that would put a peaceful end 
        to the conflict further out of reach, including unilateral 
        annexation of territory or efforts to achieve Palestinian 
        statehood status outside the framework of negotiations with 
        Israel.
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