IV 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 226 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United States 

efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian peace. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 23, 2017 

Ms. LEE (for herself and Mr. CONYERS) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding United States efforts to promote Israeli-Palestinian 

peace. 

Whereas United States support for a two-state solution to the 

Israeli-Palestinian conflict is based on the recognition 

that this solution can both best serve Israel’s security 

and permanence as a Jewish and democratic homeland 

while helping the Palestinian people achieve a future of 

independence and national self-determination; 

Whereas a true and lasting two-state solution is essential to 

the resolution of Israeli-Arab disputes and to the achievement of long-term peace and stability in the broader Middle East; 


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Whereas a true and lasting two-state solution is in the national security interests of the United States and to ensure the safety and security of Israel; 

Whereas a true and lasting two-state solution will only be established through resolution of outstanding issues between Israel and the recognized leadership of the Palestinian people; 

Whereas successive United States Presidents and successive 

United States Congresses have recognized that promoting 

Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab peace is an integral 

element of the United States bipartisan commitment to 

Israel’s security and its survival, as well as to the stability of the entire Middle East region; 

Whereas successive United States administrations, led by 

Presidents from both parties, have invested substantial 

diplomatic resources in support of peace efforts, including 

under— 

(1) President Ronald Reagan, the 1982 Reagan 

Plan for Middle East Peace; 

(2) President George H.W. Bush, the 1991 Madrid 

Peace Conference; 

(3) President Bill Clinton, the 1993 Oslo Accords, 

the 1995 Wye River Memorandum, the 2000 Camp 

David Summit, and the 2000 Clinton Parameters; 

(4) President George W. Bush, the 2001 ‘‘Sharm 

El-Sheikh Fact-Finding Committee Report’’, also known 

as the Mitchell Report, the 2003 ‘‘Roadmap for Peace in 

the Middle East’’, the 2005 Agreement on Movement and 

Access, and the 2007 Annapolis Conference; and 

(5) President Barack Obama, the 2013 appointment 

of Ambassador Martin S. Indyk as the United States 

Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations and 


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the 2014 appointment of Frank Lowenstein as the Acting 

United States Special Envoy for Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, and the tireless efforts of Secretary of State 

John Kerry to pursue a lasting resolution to the conflict 

via negotiations with Israel and the Palestinians; 

Whereas Hamas does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, has 

repeatedly launched rocket and missile attacks against 

and built tunnels into Israel, has not disavowed violence, 

and does not recognize or abide by existing binding 

agreements; 

Whereas the State of Israel is subject to existential threats 

from those seeking to deny the deep historical, cultural, 

and spiritual connection of the Jewish people to their 

homeland; 

Whereas, on September 20, 2016, while speaking to the 71st 

Session of the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama stated that ‘‘. . . surely, Israelis and Palestinians will be better off if Palestinians reject incitement and recognize the legitimacy of Israel, but Israel 

recognizes that it cannot permanently occupy and settle 

Palestinian land. We all have to do better as leaders in 

tamping down, rather than encouraging, a notion of identity that leads us to diminish others.’’; 

Whereas, on March 21, 2013, while speaking in both 

Ramallah and Jerusalem, President Obama stated that 

the Palestinian people deserve ‘‘an end to occupation and 

the daily indignities that come with it . . . It is not right 

to prevent Palestinians from farming their lands; to restrict a student’s ability to move around the West Bank; 

or to displace Palestinian families from their home. Neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer. Just as 


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Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have 

a right to be a free people in their own land.’’; 

Whereas the loss of more than 2,100 Palestinians in the 

Gaza Strip, along with 66 Israeli soldiers and seven civilians in Israel during the summer of 2014 surrounding 

Israel’s Operation Protective Edge, demonstrate that 

there is no military solution to this conflict and Hamas’ 

terror tactics will never lead to a Palestinian future of 

self-determination; 

Whereas successive United States administrations have opposed Israeli settlements in the Occupied Territories, recognizing them to be a political and security liability for 

Israel and an impediment to efforts to achieve a negotiated resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, among 

other reasons; and 

Whereas the United States goal of helping to secure Israel’s 

security and safety as a democratic homeland for the 

Jewish people well into the future is best served through 

achievement of an agreement between Israel and the Palestinians to resolve their conflict: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) reaffirms its commitment to supporting 

3 United States actions that promote peace between 

4 Israel and the Palestinians and are designed to en5 sure the safety and security of Israel and its people; 

6 (2) reaffirms its support for previous agree7 ments reached between Israel and the Palestinians 

8 and adopted by third parties that recognize Israel’s 

9 right to exist and promote a Palestinian state to 


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1 meet the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian 

2 people for self-determination within their own na3 tion; 

4 (3) commends the Obama administration and 

5 its predecessors for their resolute commitment to 

6 Israel’s survival and security and for their efforts to 

7 demonstrate this commitment through the promotion 

8 of Israeli-Palestinian negotiations to achieve a reso9 lution of their conflict and the establishment of a 

10 long-term peace in the region; 

11 (4) calls on Hamas to recognize Israel’s right to 

12 exist, denounce violence, abide by existing agree13 ments, and to prevent rocket and missile attacks 

14 against Israel; 

15 (5) calls upon states, international organiza16 tions, and individuals to oppose efforts to deny the 

17 deep historical, cultural, and spiritual connection of 

18 the Jewish people to Israel; 

19 (6) calls upon Arab and Muslim-majority states 

20 to build upon efforts such as the Arab Peace Initia21 tive, combat anti-Israel extremism, and otherwise 

22 work towards full normalization of state-to-state re23 lations with the State of Israel; 


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1 (7) calls on the Israeli Government to cease 

2 support for and to prevent further settlement expan3 sion in the Occupied Territories; 

4 (8) commends the Obama administration for 

5 supporting Israel’s Iron Dome Missile Defense Sys6 tem to help intercept rocket attacks and prevent 

7 them from devastating civilian populations in Israel, 

8 which saved countless Israeli lives during Operation 

9 Protective Edge; 

10 (9) calls on Israel and Hamas to uphold the ex11 isting cease-fire agreement and exercise strong cau12 tion so as to avoid an escalation that would only lead 

13 to further violence, destruction, and loss of life; 

14 (10) applauds the Obama administration’s re15 cent efforts to facilitate negotiations to achieve a 

16 peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinian 

17 people and urges continued robust efforts towards a 

18 peaceful resolution; and 

19 (11) calls on President Trump to continue his 

20 predecessor’s work towards a negotiated, two-state 

21 agreement ending the conflict backed by a strong 

22 international coalition of stakeholders including Arab 

23 and Muslim majority states to provide assurance to 


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1 the negotiating parties that their agreement will be 

2 enduring and enforceable. 

Æ 


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