[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 62 (Wednesday, April 10, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S2390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]





                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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   SENATE RESOLUTION 153--REAFFIRMING THE UNIQUE COLLABORATION AMONG 
  UNITED STATES NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS), INCLUDING FAITH-
     BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES TO DELIVER 
                   HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO SYRIANS

  Mr. LANKFORD (for himself and Mr. Casey) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 153

       Whereas the Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year, has 
     forced 14,000,000 Syrians to flee, more than half of the 
     country's pre-war population, with 6,500,000 internally 
     displaced people (IDPs) still within the country;
       Whereas ``Operation Good Neighbor'' is a program of the 
     Israel Defense Forces to provide humanitarian relief to 
     Syrians;
       Whereas Operation Good Neighbor worked with United States 
     nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to help forge 
     unprecedented partnerships between the Israel Defense Forces 
     (IDF) and Syrian NGOs, which opened a new channel for the 
     delivery of humanitarian assistance;
       Whereas, as a result, food, fuel, medicine, ambulances, and 
     medical supplies were flowing cross-border from Israel into 
     southern Syria;
       Whereas this new channel permitted these goods to arrive at 
     Israeli ports, and be trucked by the IDF through Israel to 
     the border with Syria;
       Whereas, at the border, the IDF transferred these 
     containers to Syrian NGOs for transport and distribution to 
     IDPs and local residents in previously hard-to-reach 
     locations in southern Syria;
       Whereas United States NGOs, including faith-based 
     organizations, facilitated the relationships between the 
     Syrian NGOs and the IDF by providing overall coordination and 
     support for this regional cooperation to help promote 
     regional peace through a multifaceted humanitarian relief 
     operation;
       Whereas the program initially reached only villages along 
     the border, but expanded to a broader area of southern Syria, 
     and as deliveries continued on a sustained basis, the 
     initiative ultimately reached an even greater population; and
       Whereas, in addition to the value of the humanitarian 
     relief itself, the Syrian/Israeli partnerships, created and 
     reinforced through the success of the new channel, 
     demonstrated the value of cooperation and continues to serve 
     as a role model for strengthened positive relations between 
     Syrians and Israelis: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate hereby reaffirms the unique 
     collaboration between United States nongovernmental 
     organizations (NGOs), including faith-based organizations, 
     and Syrian NGOs and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for 
     having provided vital aid to internally displaced people and 
     local residents in southern Syria while also countering 
     generations of hostility, promoting dialogue between 
     neighbors, and ultimately advancing long-term stability in 
     the region.

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