[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 15285]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 599--EXPRESSING VIGOROUS SUPPORT AND UNWAVERING 
   COMMITMENT TO THE WELFARE, SECURITY, AND SURVIVAL OF THE STATE OF 
   ISRAEL AS A JEWISH AND DEMOCRATIC STATE WITH SECURE BORDERS, AND 
RECOGNIZING AND STRONGLY SUPPORTING ITS RIGHT TO ACT IN SELF-DEFENSE TO 
             PROTECT ITS CITIZENS AGAINST ACTS OF TERRORISM

  Mrs. GILLIBRAND (for herself, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Rubio, Ms. 
Mikulski, Mr. Risch, Mr. Udall of Colorado, Mr. Wicker, Mrs. Feinstein, 
Mr. Moran, Mr. Coons, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Warner, Mr. Hoeven, Ms. Cantwell, 
Mr. Coats, Mr. Nelson of Florida, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Graham, 
Mr. Casey, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Corker, Mr. Menendez, Mr. Boozman, Mr. 
Isakson, Mr. Toomey, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Cornyn, Ms. Klobuchar, 
Mr. Schumer, Mr. Burr, Mr. Franken, Mr. Kyl, Mr. Johnson of South 
Dakota, Mr. Barrasso, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Heller, Mr. Brown of Ohio, 
Mr. Johanns, Mr. Manchin, Mrs. Hagan, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Lautenberg, Mr. 
Baucus, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Thune, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. 
Stabenow, Mr. Portman, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Tester, Ms. 
Murkowski, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Kohl, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Udall of 
New Mexico, Mr. Pryor, Mr. Begich, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Hutchison, and Mr. 
Levin) submitted the following resolution; which was consider and 
agreed to:

                              S. Res. 599

       Whereas Hamas was founded with the stated goal of 
     destroying the State of Israel;
       Whereas Hamas has been designated by the Secretary of State 
     as a Foreign Terrorist Organization;
       Whereas Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist, 
     renounce violence, and accept previous agreements between 
     Israel and the Palestinians;
       Whereas Hamas has launched thousands of rockets and 
     missiles since Israel dismantled settlements and withdrew 
     from Gaza in 2005;
       Whereas terrorists in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have 
     fired approximately 900 rockets and missile shells into 
     Israel this year, an increase from roughly 675 attacks in 
     2011 and 350 in 2010;
       Whereas Hamas has increased the range of its rockets, 
     reportedly with support from Iran and others, putting 
     additional large numbers of Israelis in danger of rocket 
     attacks from Gaza;
       Whereas, on November 14, 2012, President Barack Obama 
     condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and 
     reiterated Israel's right to self-defense; and
       Whereas Israel, a fellow democracy, has an inherent right 
     to self defense in the face of terrorist attacks: Now, 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) expresses unwavering commitment to the security of the 
     State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure 
     borders, and recognizes and strongly supports its inherent 
     right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against 
     acts of terrorism;
       (2) reiterates that Hamas must end Gaza-linked terrorist 
     rocket and missile attacks against Israel, recognize Israel's 
     right to exist, renounce violence, and agree to accept 
     previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians;
       (3) urges the United Nations Security Council to condemn 
     the recent spike in Gaza-linked terrorist missile attacks 
     against Israel, which risk causing civilian casualties in 
     both Israel and Gaza; and
       (4) encourages the President to continue to work 
     diplomatically with the international community to prevent 
     Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist organizations from 
     retaining or rebuilding the capability to launch rockets and 
     missiles against Israel.

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