H. Res. 575

In the House of Representatives, U.S., 

December 16, 2005.

Whereas the foundation for the Israeli-Palestinian peace 

process was Palestinian recognition of Israel’s right to 

exist and a solemn obligation to end terrorism and violence; 

Whereas the removal of all Israeli presence in Gaza signifies 

an end to Israeli responsibility there and a shift in security responsibility of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority; 

Whereas Israel’s evacuation of Gaza affords the Palestinian 

Authority, now the responsible governing authority in 

Gaza, the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to govern, to establish the rule of law, to end corruption, and 

thereby to demonstrate that it is a partner for peace; 

Whereas Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas 

has repeatedly called for the establishment of ‘‘One Authority, One Law, and One Gun’’; 

Whereas since the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, the 

Palestinian Authority has taken few steps to establish 

rule of law in Gaza; 

Whereas Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, and other terrorist organizations have vowed to 

continue terrorism against Israeli civilians, seek the de-
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struction of the State of Israel, and employ violence and 

terror in fulfillment of that aim; 

Whereas the inclusion of Hamas, or any other terrorist group 

on the State Department list of foreign terrorist organizations, into the Palestinian structure could be construed 

as an implicit endorsement of their anti-American and 

anti-Israeli terrorist ideology; 

Whereas the first provision of the Road Map to Middle East 

Peace calls for the Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist 

infrastructure; 

Whereas these terrorist organizations, including Hamas and 

Islamic Jihad, operate virtually without interference from 

the Palestinian Authority; 

Whereas Hamas has announced its intention to run in Palestinian legislative elections scheduled for January 2006; 

Whereas Abbas has indicated his willingness to see Hamas 

participate in the elections without first calling for it to 

disband its militia or for it to renounce its goal of destroying the State of Israel; 

Whereas the United States has clearly stated that armed militias attached to political parties are incompatible with 

democratic societies; 

Whereas President Bush has stated that Hamas ‘‘seeks to 

end dissent in every form, to control every aspect of life 

* * * the terrorists are preparing a future of oppression 

and misery’’; 

Whereas the forces of freedom must continue to keep an 

untiring vigil against the enemies of rising democracies; 

and 
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Whereas the United States has a longstanding policy of not 

dealing or negotiating with terrorists: Now, therefore, be 

it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) reaffirms its commitment to the safety and security of the democratic State of Israel; 

(2) asserts that terrorist organizations, such as 

Hamas, should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections until such organizations recognize 

Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, 

condemn terrorism, and permanently disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure; 

(3) calls on the Palestinian Authority President 

Abbas before the election to declare openly his intention 

to take action to dismantle the terrorist organizations; 

(4) asserts that the inclusion of Hamas, or any 

other terrorist group on the Department of State’s list 

of foreign terrorist organizations, in the Palestinian 

Authority’s government will inevitably raise serious questions for the United States about the commitment of the 

Palestinian Authority and its leadership to making peace 

with Israel and will potentially undermine the ability of 

the United States to have a constructive relationship 

with, or provide further assistance to, the Palestinian 

Authority; and 
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(5) states its strong belief that, as underlined in 

every recent Israeli–Palestinian peace agreement, 

progress in the peace process requires sustained Palestinian effort to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, 

and that delay in confronting that principal obligation 

only emboldens the opponents of peace and threatens its 

realization.

Attest:

Clerk.