106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 426

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Whereas the Arab-Israeli conflict must be resolved by peaceful negotiation;

Whereas since 1993 Israel and the Palestinians have been engaged in intensive negotiations over the future of the

West Bank and Gaza;
2

•HCON 426 EH

Whereas the United States, through its consistent support of

Israel and the cause of peace, made the current peace

process possible;

Whereas the underlying basis of those negotiations was recognition of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)

by Israel in exchange for the renunciation of violence by

the PLO and its Chairman Yasser Arafat, first expressed

in a letter to then-Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin

dated September 9, 1993, in which Mr. Arafat stated:

‘‘[T]he PLO renounces the use of terrorism and other

acts of violence, and will assume responsibility over all

PLO elements and personnel in order to assure their

compliance, prevent violations and discipline violators.’’;

Whereas as a result of those negotiations, the Palestinians

now fully control over 40 percent of the West Bank and

Gaza, with over 95 percent of the Palestinian population

under the civil administration of the Palestinian Authority;

Whereas as a result of peace negotiations, Israel turned over

control of these areas to the Palestinian Authority with

the clear understanding and expectation that the Palestinians would maintain order and security there;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority, with the assistance of

Israel and the international community, created a strong

police force, almost twice the number allowed under the

Oslo Accords, specifically to maintain public order;

Whereas the Government of Israel made clear to the world

its commitment to peace at Camp David, where it expressed its readiness to take wide-ranging and painful

steps in order to bring an end to the conflict, but these

proposals were rejected by Chairman Arafat;
3

•HCON 426 EH

Whereas perceived provocations must only be addressed at

the negotiating table;

Whereas it is only through negotiations, and not through violence, that the Palestinians can hope to achieve their political aspirations;

Whereas even in the face of the desecration of Joseph’s

Tomb, a Jewish holy site in the West Bank, the Government of Israel has made it clear that it will withdraw

forces from Palestinian areas if the Palestinian Authority

maintains order in those areas; and

Whereas the Palestinian leadership not only did too little for

far too long to control the violence, but in fact encouraged it: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That the Congress—

3 (1) expresses its solidarity with the state and

4 people of Israel at this time of crisis;

5 (2) condemns the Palestinian leadership for en6 couraging the violence and doing so little for so long

7 to stop it, resulting in the senseless loss of life;

8 (3) calls upon the Palestinian leadership to re9 frain from any exhortations to public incitement,

10 urges the Palestinian leadership to vigorously use its

11 security forces to act immediately to stop all vio12 lence, to show respect for all holy sites, and to settle

13 all grievances through negotiations;
4

•HCON 426 EH

1 (4) commends successive Administrations on

2 their continuing efforts to achieve peace in the Mid3 dle East;

4 (5) urges the current Administration to use its

5 veto power at the United Nations Security Council

6 to ensure that the Security Council does not again

7 adopt unbalanced resolutions addressing the uncon8 trolled violence in the areas controlled by the Pales9 tinian Authority; and

10 (6) calls on all parties involved in the Middle

11 East conflict to make all possible efforts to reinvigo12 rate the peace process in order to prevent further

13 senseless loss of life by all sides.

Passed the House of Representatives October 25,

2000.

Attest:

Clerk.
106TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. CON. RES. 426

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Concerning the violence in the Middle East.