[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 195 (Friday, December 6, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9298-H9299]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES REGARDING UNITED 
 STATES EFFORTS TO RESOLVE THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT THROUGH A 
                     NEGOTIATED TWO-STATE SOLUTION

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to section 2 of House Resolution 
741, I call up the resolution (H. Res. 326) expressing the sense of the 
House of Representatives regarding United States efforts to resolve the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a negotiated two-state solution, 
and ask for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to House Resolution 741, the 
amendments to the resolution and the preamble recommended by the 
Committee on Foreign Affairs, printed in the resolution, modified by 
the amendments printed in part B of House Report 116-322, are adopted 
and the resolution, as amended, is considered read.
  The text of the resolution, as amended, is as follows:

                              H. Res. 326

       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; 
     including by finalizing in 2016 under the Obama 
     Administration, a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding, 
     reaffirming the United States' commitment to annual military 
     assistance and cooperative missile defense programs, which is 
     in the national interests of both countries;
       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, under Presidents of both 
     parties, has provided bilateral and multilateral foreign 
     assistance to promote the security, stability, and the 
     humanitarian well-being of Palestinians;
       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

[[Page H9299]]

     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) it is in the enduring United States' national interest 
     to continue to stand by its ironclad commitments under the 
     2016 United States-Israel Memorandum of Understanding, which 
     seeks to help Israel defend itself against a wide range of 
     threats;
       (4) 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;
       (5) it is in the United States' interest to continue 
     promoting the security, stability, and humanitarian well-
     being of Palestanians and their neighbors by resuming the 
     provision of foreign assistance pursuant to United States 
     law; and
       (6) 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.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The resolution, as amended, shall be 
debatable for 1 hour, equally divided and controlled by the chair and 
ranking minority member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
  The gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) and the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Zeldin) each will control 30 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel).

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