[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 15298-15299]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 EXPRESSING VIGOROUS SUPPORT AND UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO THE WELFARE, 
             SECURITY, AND SURVIVAL OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL

  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 599 submitted earlier 
today by Senator Gillibrand and Senator Kirk.

[[Page 15299]]

  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the resolution by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A resolution (S. Res. 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.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the 
resolution.
  Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no 
intervening action or debate, and that any statements related to the 
measure be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The resolution (S. Res. 599) was agreed to.
  The preamble was agreed to.
  The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:

                              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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