[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 120 (Tuesday, July 29, 2014)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5066-S5067]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

                                 ______
                                 

   SENATE RESOLUTION 526--SUPPORTING ISRAEL'S RIGHT TO DEFEND ITSELF 
                 AGAINST HAMAS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

  Mr. REID (for himself, Mr. McConnell, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Corker, Mr. 
Cardin, and Mr. Graham) submitted the following resolution; which was 
considered and agreed to.:

                              S. Res. 526

       Whereas Hamas, an organization designated as a Foreign 
     Terrorist Organization by the United States Department of 
     State since 1997, has fired over 2,500 rockets 
     indiscriminately from Gaza into Israel;
       Whereas Israel has a right to defend itself from Hamas's 
     constant barrage of rockets and to destroy the matrix of 
     tunnels Hamas uses to smuggle weapons and Hamas fighters into 
     Israel to carry out terrorist attacks;
       Whereas the Government of Israel has taken significant 
     steps to protect civilians in Gaza, including dropping 
     leaflets in Gaza neighborhoods in advance of Israeli military 
     attacks, calling Palestinians on the phone urging them to 
     evacuate certain areas before the military strikes targets, 
     and issuing warnings to civilians in advance of firing on 
     buildings;
       Whereas Israel's attacks have focused on terrorist targets 
     such as Hamas's munitions storage sites, areas sheltering 
     Hamas's rocket systems, Hamas's weapons manufacturing sites, 
     the homes of militant leaders, and on the vast labyrinth of 
     tunnels Hamas's fighters use to penetrate Israel's territory 
     and attack Israelis;
       Whereas Hamas uses rockets to indiscriminately target 
     civilians in Israel;
       Whereas Israel has accepted and implemented numerous 
     ceasefire agreements that Hamas has rejected;
       Whereas Hamas continued to fire rockets into Israel during 
     a 24-hour truce that Hamas had itself proposed;
       Whereas Israel embraced the Egyptian-proposed ceasefire 
     agreement, which Hamas resoundingly rejected on July 27, 
     2014;
       Whereas Hamas intentionally uses civilians as human 
     shields;
       Whereas Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist;
       Whereas Israel's Iron Dome has protected Israel's civilian 
     population from the over 2,500 rockets that Hamas has 
     indiscriminately fired into Israel since July 7, 2014;
       Whereas, without Iron Dome's ability to intercept and 
     destroy Hamas's missiles, Israeli neighborhoods would have 
     been significantly damaged and Israeli casualties would have 
     been much higher;
       Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council voted to 
     accept a biased resolution establishing a Commission of 
     Inquiry to determine if Israel violated human rights and 
     humanitarian law during the ongoing conflict with Gaza; and
       Whereas the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution 
     makes no mention of investigating Hamas's indiscriminate 
     rocket attacks against Israel, nor Hamas's policy of using 
     Palestinian civilians as human shields: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) laments all loss of innocent civilian life;
       (2) condemns the United Nations Human Rights Council's 
     resolution on July 23, 2014, which calls for yet another 
     prejudged investigation of Israel while making no mention of 
     Hamas's continued assault against Israel, and also calls for 
     an investigation into potential human rights violations by 
     Israel in the current Gaza conflict without mentioning 
     Hamas's assault against innocent civilians and its use of 
     civilian shields;
       (3) supports Israel's right to defend itself against 
     Hamas's unrelenting and indiscriminate rocket assault into 
     Israel and Israel's right to destroy Hamas's elaborate tunnel 
     system into Israel's territory;
       (4) condemns Hamas's terrorist actions and use of civilians 
     as human shields;
       (5) supports United States mediation efforts for a durable 
     ceasefire agreement that immediately ends Hamas's rocket 
     assault and leads to the demilitarization of Gaza; and
       (6) supports additional funding the Government of Israel 
     needs to replenish Iron Dome missiles and enhance Israel's 
     defensive capabilities.

[[Page S5067]]



                          ____________________