I

106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 4976

To prohibit United States assistance to the Palestinian Authority if a

Palestinian state is declared unilaterally, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JULY 26, 2000

Mr. NADLER (for himself, Mr. REYNOLDS, Mr. LANTOS, Mrs. LOWEY, Mr.

ENGEL, Mr. BRADY of Texas, Mr. FRANKS of New Jersey, Mr. WEINER,

Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. CROWLEY, Ms. BERKLEY, Mr. BERMAN, Mr. SISISKY, and Mr. LAZIO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to

the Committee on International Relations

A BILL

To prohibit United States assistance to the Palestinian Authority if a Palestinian state is declared unilaterally,

and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Middle East Peace

5 Process Support Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—
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1 (1) it is only through direct negotiations be2 tween the parties that progress toward peace has

3 been and can be achieved in the Middle East;

4 (2) the process that began with the signing of

5 the Oslo accords in 1993 has created an important

6 negotiating framework between Israel and the Pal7 estinians that has produced the promise of an end

8 to the conflict;

9 (3) as part of the Oslo accords, Palestinian

10 Chairman Arafat committed that ‘‘all outstanding

11 issues relating to permanent status will be resolved

12 through negotiations’’;

13 (4) the repeated Palestinian threat to declare

14 an independent state unilaterally after September

15 13, 2000, is contrary to both the spirit and letter of

16 the Oslo accords;

17 (5) the unilateral declaration of an independent

18 Palestinian state will inevitably lead to violence and

19 the end of the negotiating process;

20 (6) the United States agreed to provide assist21 ance to the Palestinians only after the Oslo accords

22 were signed in order to help advance the cause of

23 peace;

24 (7) on March 11, 1999, the Senate overwhelm25 ingly adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, and
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1 on March 16, 1999, the House of Representatives

2 adopted House Concurrent Resolution 24, both of

3 which resolved that: ‘‘any attempt to establish Pales4 tinian statehood outside the negotiating process will

5 invoke the strongest Congressional opposition’’; and

6 (8) on July 25, 2000, Palestinian Chairman

7 Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Barak issued a

8 joint statement agreeing that the ‘‘two sides under9 stand the importance of avoiding unilateral actions

10 that prejudice the outcome of negotiations and that

11 their differences will be resolved in good-faith nego12 tiations.’’.

13 SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES ASSISTANCE.

14 Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the

15 period beginning on the date on which a Palestinian state

16 is unilaterally declared and ending on the date on which

17 such unilateral declaration of Palestinian statehood is

18 rescinded—

19 (1) United States assistance may not be pro20 vided directly or indirectly to the Palestinian Au21 thority or to any successor or related entity; and

22 (2) Federal funds may not be used to extend

23 United States recognition to such a unilaterally-de24 clared Palestinian state, including, but not limited

25 to, funds for the payment of the salary of any am-
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1 bassador, consul, or other diplomatic personnel to

2 such a state, or for the cost of establishing, oper3 ating, or maintaining an embassy, consulate, or

4 other diplomatic facility in such a state.

5 SEC. 4. OPPOSITION TO UNITED NATIONS ADMISSION OR

6 RECOGNITION.

7 The President shall instruct the United States rep8 resentative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote,

9 and influence of the United States to oppose, in the

10 United Nations Security Council, General Assembly, or

11 any other United Nations body, admission to the United

12 Nations of a unilaterally-declared Palestinian state or for13 mal recognition by the United Nations of such a state.

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