[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 11779]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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  SENATE RESOLUTION 498--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING 
  UNITED STATES SUPPORT FOR THE STATE OF ISRAEL AS IT DEFENDS ITSELF 
AGAINST UNPROVOKED ROCKET ATTACKS FROM THE HAMAS TERRORIST ORGANIZATION

  Mr. GRAHAM (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Ayotte, Mr. Schumer, Mr. 
McCain, Mr. Corker, Mr. Rubio, Mr. Blunt, Mr. Kirk, Mr. Toomey, Mr. 
Alexander, Mr. Moran, Mr. Johanns, Mr. Heller, Mr. Inhofe, Mrs. 
Fischer, Ms. Collins, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Vitter, Mr. Paul, Mr. Blumenthal, 
Mrs. Boxer, Mr. Nelson, Mr. Franken, Ms. Murkowski, Mr. Thune, Mr. 
Grassley, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Scott, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Crapo, Mr. 
Chambliss, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Casey, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Coats, Mrs. Shaheen, 
Mr. Tester, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Lee, and Mr. Begich) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 498

       Whereas Hamas is a United States-designated terrorist 
     organization whose charter calls for the destruction of the 
     State of Israel;
       Whereas Hamas continues to reject the core principles of 
     the Middle East Quartet (the United Nations, the United 
     States, the European Union, and Russia)--recognize Israel's 
     right to exist, renounce violence, and accept previous 
     Israeli-Palestinian agreements;
       Whereas Hamas has killed hundreds of Israelis and dozens of 
     Americans in rocket attacks and suicide bombings;
       Whereas, since Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, Hamas 
     and other terrorist groups have fired thousands of rockets at 
     Israel;
       Whereas Hamas has entered into a unity governing 
     arrangement with Fatah and the Palestinian Authority;
       Whereas the unity governing agreement implies Fatah's and 
     the Palestinian Authority's support for Hamas' belligerent 
     actions against Israel, potentially contributing to a false 
     perception of legitimacy for Hamas' belligerent actions;
       Whereas, since June 2014, Hamas has fired nearly 300 
     rockets at Israel;
       Whereas Hamas's weapons arsenal includes approximately 
     12,000 rockets that vary in range;
       Whereas innocent Israeli civilians are indiscriminately 
     targeted by Hamas rocket attacks; and
       Whereas 5,000,000 Israelis are currently living under the 
     threat of rocket attacks from Gaza: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) reaffirms its support for Israel's right to defend its 
     citizens and ensure the survival of the State of Israel;
       (2) condemns the unprovoked rocket fire at Israel;
       (3) calls on Hamas to immediately cease all rocket and 
     other attacks against Israel; and
       (4) calls on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas 
     to dissolve the unity governing arrangement with Hamas and 
     condemn the attacks on Israel.

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