[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 187 (Wednesday, November 15, 2017)]
[House]
[Page H9302]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE DEEP AND ABIDING FRIENDSHIP BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES 
                               AND ISRAEL

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that 
the Committee on Foreign Affairs be discharged from further 
consideration of the concurrent resolution (H. Con. Res. 92) 
recognizing the deep and abiding friendship between the United States 
and Israel, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The text of the concurrent resolution is as follows

                            H. Con. Res. 92

       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 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'';
       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;
       Whereas since Israel's founding, it has been a strong and 
     steadfast ally to the United States, and the relationship is 
     built on a mutual commitment to shared values;
       Whereas Israel serves as a beacon for democracy by holding 
     free and transparent elections and promoting the free 
     exchange of ideas;
       Whereas in April 1998, the United States designated Israel 
     as a Major Non-NATO ally and in 2014 was elevated to the 
     status of a Major Strategic Partner; and
       Whereas the 100th Anniversary of the Balfour Declaration 
     offers an opportunity for recommitment to strengthening the 
     relationship between the United States and Israel; Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That Congress--
       (1) affirms its commitment to maintaining the strongest of 
     bilateral ties with the State of Israel;
       (2) recognizes the importance of the establishment of the 
     modern State of Israel as a secure and democratic homeland 
     for the Jewish people, without prejudice to the rights of all 
     people to live within or alongside Israel in peace; and
       (3) supports efforts to continue to increase economic, 
     security and cultural ties between the United States and 
     Israel.


              Amendment Offered by Mr. Royce of California

  Mr. ROYCE of California. Mr. Speaker, I have an amendment at the 
desk.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the amendment.
  The Clerk read as follows:

       Page 3, line 3, strike ``, without prejudice to the rights 
     of all people to live within or alongside Israel in peace'' 
     and insert ``that upholds full and equal rights for all of 
     its citizens''.

  The amendment was agreed to.
  The concurrent resolution, as amended, was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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