H. Res. 392

In the House of Representatives, U.S.,

May 2, 2002.

Whereas the United States and Israel are now engaged in a

common struggle against terrorism and are on the frontlines of a conflict thrust upon them against their will;

Whereas hundreds of innocent Israelis and Palestinians have

died tragically in violence since September 2000;

Whereas Palestinian organizations are engaging in an organized, systematic, and deliberate campaign of terror

aimed at inflicting as many casualties as possible on the

Israeli population, including through the use of suicide

terrorist attacks;

Whereas the number of Israelis killed during that time by

suicide terrorist attacks alone, on a basis proportional to

the United States population, is approximately 9,000,

three times the number killed in the terrorist attacks on

New York and Washington on September 11, 2001;

Whereas Yasir Arafat and members of the Palestinian leadership have failed to abide by their commitments to nonviolence made in the Israel-PLO Declaration of Principles

(the ‘‘Oslo accord’’) of September 1993, including their

pledges (1) to adhere strictly to ‘‘a peaceful resolution of

the conflict,’’ (2) to resolve ‘‘all outstanding issues relating to permanent status through negotiations,’’ (3) to re-
2

•HRES 392 EH

nounce ‘‘the use of terrorism and other acts of violence,’’

and (4) to ‘‘assume responsibility over all PLO elements

and personnel in order to assure their compliance [with

the commitment to nonviolence], prevent violence, and

discipline violators’’;

Whereas the continued terrorism and incitement committed

and supported by official arms of the Palestinian Authority are a direct violation of these commitments;

Whereas the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is part of Arafat’s Fatah organization and has been designated a ‘‘Foreign Terrorist Organization’’ by the United States Government, and other Fatah forces have murdered scores of

innocent Israelis;

Whereas forces under Yasir Arafat’s direct control were involved in the Palestinian Authority’s thwarted attempt to

obtain 50 tons of offensive weapons shipped from Iran in

the Karine-A, an effort that irrefutably proved Arafat’s

embrace of the use and escalation of violence;

Whereas the Israeli Government has documents found in the

offices of the Palestinian Authority that demonstrate the

crucial financial support the Palestinian Authority continues to provide for terrorist acts, including suicide

bombers;

Whereas the recent escalation of Palestinian attacks, killing

46 Israelis during the week of Passover, included a heinous suicide-bombing at a religious ceremony which killed

27 and wounded more than a hundred, many critically,

and was perpetrated by a known terrorist whom Israel

had previously asked Yasir Arafat to arrest;

Whereas this suicide attack occurred at the very time United

States envoy General Anthony Zinni was attempting to
3

•HRES 392 EH

negotiate a cease-fire that would lead to the resumption

of Israeli-Palestinians political negotiations;

Whereas, just before the Passover attack, Israel had agreed

to General Zinni’s cease-fire proposals, whereas Yasir

Arafat rejected them;

Whereas Yasir Arafat continues to incite terror by, for example, saying of the Passover suicide bomber, ‘‘Oh God,

give me a martyrdom like this’’;

Whereas Yasir Arafat and the PLO have a long history of

making and breaking anti-terrorism pledges;

Whereas President George W. Bush declared at a joint session of Congress on September 20, 2001, that ‘‘[f]rom

this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or

support terrorism will be regarded by the United States

as a hostile regime’’;

Whereas President Bush recently stated that he ‘‘fully understands Israel’s need to defend herself’’ and that he ‘‘respect(s)’’ the fact that Israelis have ‘‘seen a wave of suicide bombers coming to the heart of their cities and killing innocent people’’;

Whereas President Bush, in his speech of April 4, 2002, stated that ‘‘the situation in which he [Arafat] finds himself

today is largely of his own making’’; that Arafat ‘‘missed

his opportunities, and thereby betrayed the hopes of the

people he’s supposed to lead’’; and that, ‘‘[g]iven his

[Arafat’s] failure, the Israeli Government feels it must

strike at terrorist networks that are killing its citizens’’;

Whereas Israel’s military operations are an effort to defend

itself against the unspeakable horrors of ongoing terrorism and are aimed only at dismantling the terrorist in-
4

•HRES 392 EH

frastructure in the Palestinian areas, an obligation

Arafat himself undertook but failed to carry out; and

Whereas the process of Israeli withdrawal is nearly complete:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

(1) stands in solidarity with Israel as it takes necessary steps to provide security to its people by dismantling the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas;

(2) remains committed to Israel’s right to self-defense and supports additional United States assistance

to help Israel defend itself;

(3) condemns the recent wave of Palestinian suicide

bombings;

(4) condemns the ongoing support of terror by

Yasir Arafat and other members of the Palestinian leadership;

(5) demands that the Palestinian Authority at last

fulfill its commitment to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in the Palestinian areas, including any such infrastructure associated with PLO and Palestinian Authority entities tied directly to Yasir Arafat;

(6) is gravely concerned that Arafat’s actions are

not those of a viable partner for peace;

(7) urges all Arab states to declare their unqualified

opposition to all forms of terrorism, including suicide

bombing;
5

•HRES 392 EH

(8) commends the President for his leadership in

addressing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly

the efforts of the Administration to engage countries

throughout the region to condemn and prevent terrorism

and to prevent a widening of the conflict;

(9) urges all parties in the region to pursue vigorously efforts to establish a just, lasting, and comprehensive peace in the Middle East; and

(10) encourages the international community to

take action to alleviate the humanitarian needs of the

Palestinian people.

Attest:

Clerk.