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[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 291 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 291

Affirming the historical connection of the Jewish people to the ancient 
   and sacred city of Jerusalem and condemning efforts at the United 
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to 
 deny Judaism's millennia-old historical, religious, and cultural ties 
                             to Jerusalem.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            October 16, 2017

Mr. Cruz submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Foreign Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Affirming the historical connection of the Jewish people to the ancient 
   and sacred city of Jerusalem and condemning efforts at the United 
Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to 
 deny Judaism's millennia-old historical, religious, and cultural ties 
                             to Jerusalem.

Whereas for over 3,000 years, Jerusalem has played a central role in the history 
        and identity of the Jewish people;
Whereas Jerusalem is the location of the holiest site for the Jewish people, the 
        Temple Mount, as well as the Western Wall, where Jews from across the 
        world come to pray;
Whereas Jerusalem has been a Christian pilgrimage site for over 2,000 years, and 
        holds considerable religious significance for Christians;
Whereas Jerusalem is home to the third holiest site in Islam, and holds 
        considerable religious significance for Muslims;
Whereas Jerusalem serves as a cultural and religious inspiration to billions of 
        people around the world;
Whereas the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization 
        (UNESCO) has passed a series of anti-Israel resolutions in recent years 
        regarding Jerusalem, both at the Committee level and by the Executive 
        Board--a governing body of UNESCO;
Whereas these biased resolutions are attempts to erase or minimize the Jewish as 
        well as Christian historical and religious ties to Jerusalem, and 
        unjustly single out our close ally Israel with false accusations and 
        criticism;
Whereas numerous archaeological excavations, such as those taking place in the 
        City of David, Israel's most archaeologically excavated site, have 
        uncovered a myriad of antiquities which scientifically reaffirm 
        Jerusalem's historical significance to Judaism as well as Christianity;
Whereas the City of David is the archaeological site of ancient Jerusalem, and 
        is believed to be the very site recorded in the Bible upon which King 
        David established the capital of ancient Israel;
Whereas since 1867, there have been archaeological excavations at the site of 
        the City of David, including international delegations of archaeologists 
        from the United States, England, France, and Germany;
Whereas these excavations have unearthed antiquities from over 10 different 
        civilizations, including Canaanite, Israelite, Roman, Byzantine, and 
        Persian;
Whereas the current excavations of the City of David are carried out under the 
        auspices of the Israel Antiquities Authority, and are held to the 
        highest scientific standards;
Whereas among the most significant archaeological discoveries unearthed from the 
        City of David include the Siloam Inscription (8th century B.C.E.), which 
        recounts the preparations made by King Hezekiah of Judah for the 
        impending Assyrian siege against Jerusalem, consistent with the Biblical 
        account from 2 Kings; clay seal impressions/bullae (6th century B.C.E.) 
        bearing the names of two Judean Government officials who are mentioned 
        in the very same verse in the Bible, Jeremiah 38:1; the Pool of Siloam 
        (1st century B.C.E.), which served during the Second Temple period as a 
        ritual bath for the hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims ascending 
        annually to the Temple, which stood atop the Temple Mount; and the 
        Second Temple Pilgrimage Road (1st century C.E.), which began at the 
        Pool of Siloam and served as the main thoroughfare of Second Temple 
        period Jerusalem that carried hundreds of thousands of people on their 
        annual pilgrimages to the Temple;
Whereas the Pilgrimage Road located within the City of David, which stretches 
        600 meters from the Pool of Siloam to the footsteps of the Western Wall, 
        will be open to visitors upon completion of the excavation; and
Whereas these discoveries affirm the undeniable truth that the City of David, 
        the Western Wall, and the Temple Mount are inextricably linked 
        together--physically, historically, and symbolically--as the bedrock of 
        the connection between the Jewish people and Jerusalem, and have been 
        for millennia: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) recognizes and affirms the historical connection of the 
        Jewish people to the ancient and sacred city of Jerusalem;
            (2) recognizes and affirms that the archaeological 
        discoveries from the City of David, the site of ancient 
        Jerusalem, present undeniable scientific evidence of the 
        millennia-old connection of Jerusalem to the Jewish people, 
        and, by extension, to Christianity;
            (3) commends the Government of Israel for protecting the 
        freedoms of all faiths in Jerusalem including Jews, Christians, 
        and Muslims, ensuring their access to holy sites so that they 
        may worship freely;
            (4) condemns any past, present, or future efforts at UNESCO 
        to delegitimize Israel through attempts to rewrite and deny the 
        history of Jerusalem; and
            (5) encourages the United States to continue working with 
        allies to prevent UNESCO from passing biased and unjust anti-
        Israel resolutions in the future.
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