III 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 534 

Condemning Hezbollah and Hamas and their state sponsors and supporting 

Israel’s exercise of its right to self-defense. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 18, 2006 

Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. REID, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. NELSON

of Florida, Mr. KYL, Mr. BOND, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mr. LEVIN, Mrs. 

DOLE, Mr. GRASSLEY, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. SMITH, Mr. TALENT, Mr. 

ROBERTS, Mr. VITTER, Mr. CORNYN, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. 

COLEMAN, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. BAUCUS, Mr. BAYH, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs. BOXER, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. CARPER, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. CONRAD, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. DODD, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. 

INOUYE, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KERRY, Mr. KOHL, Ms. 

LANDRIEU, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. NELSON of 

Nebraska, Mr. OBAMA, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. REED, Mr. ROCKEFELLER, Mr. 

SALAZAR, Mr. SARBANES, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. WYDEN, 

and Mr. MCCAIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Condemning Hezbollah and Hamas and their state sponsors 

and supporting Israel’s exercise of its right to self-defense. 

Whereas Israel fully complied with United Nations Security 

Council Resolution 425 (adopted March 19, 1978) by 

completely withdrawing its forces from Lebanon, as certified by the United Nations Security Council and affirmed by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 534 ATS 

on June 16, 2000, when he said, ‘‘Israel has withdrawn 

from [Lebanon] in full compliance with Security Council 

Resolution 425.’’; 

Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 

(adopted September 2, 2004) calls for the complete withdrawal of all foreign forces and the dismantlement of all 

independent militias in Lebanon; 

Whereas despite Resolution 1559, the terrorist organization 

Hezbollah remains active in Lebanon and has amassed 

thousands of rockets aimed at northern Israel; 

Whereas the Government of Lebanon, which includes representatives of Hezbollah, has done little to dismantle 

Hezbollah forces or to exert its authority and control 

throughout all geographic regions of Lebanon; 

Whereas Hezbollah receives financial, military, and political 

support from Syria and Iran; 

Whereas the United States has enacted several laws, including the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty 

Restoration Act of 2003 (22 U.S.C. 2151 note) and the 

Iran and Libya Sanctions Act of 1996 (50 U.S.C. 1701 

note), that call for the imposition of sanctions on Syria 

and Iran for, among other things, their support for terrorism and terrorist organizations; 

Whereas the Government of Israel has shown restraint in the 

past year even though Hezbollah has launched at least 4 

separate attacks into Israel using rockets and ground 

forces; 

Whereas, without provocation, on the morning of July 12, 

2006, Hezbollah launched an attack into northern Israel, 

killing 7 Israeli soldiers and taking 2 hostage into Lebanon; 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 534 ATS 

Whereas on June 25, 2006, despite Israel’s evacuation of 

Gaza in 2005, the terrorist organization Hamas, which is 

also supported by Syria and Iran, entered sovereign 

Israeli territory, attacked an Israeli military base, killed 

2 Israeli soldiers, and captured an Israeli soldier, and has 

refused to release that soldier; 

Whereas rockets have been launched from Gaza into Israel 

since Israel’s evacuation of Gaza in 2005; and 

Whereas both Hezbollah and Hamas refuse to recognize 

Israel’s right to exist and call for the destruction of 

Israel: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms its steadfast support for the State 

3 of Israel; 

4 (2) supports Israel’s right of self-defense and 

5 Israel’s right to take appropriate action to deter ag6 gression by terrorist groups and their state sponsors; 

7 (3) urges the President to continue fully sup8 porting Israel as Israel exercises its right of self-de9 fense in Lebanon and Gaza; 

10 (4) calls for the immediate and unconditional 

11 release of Israeli soldiers who are being held captive 

12 by Hezbollah or Hamas; 

13 (5) condemns the Governments of Iran and 

14 Syria for their continued support for Hezbollah and 

15 Hamas, and holds the Governments of Syria and 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
4 

•SRES 534 ATS 

1 Iran responsible for the acts of aggression carried 

2 out by Hezbollah and Hamas against Israel; 

3 (6) condemns Hamas and Hezbollah for exploit4 ing civilian populations as shields and locating their 

5 military activities in civilian areas; 

6 (7) urges the President to use all available po7 litical and diplomatic means, including sanctions, to 

8 persuade the governments of Syria and Iran to end 

9 their support of Hezbollah and Hamas; 

10 (8) calls on the Government of Lebanon to do 

11 everything in its power to find and free the kid12 napped Israeli soldiers being held in its territory, 

13 and to fulfill its responsibility under United Nations 

14 Security Council Resolution 1559 (adopted Sep15 tember 2, 2004) to disband and disarm Hezbollah; 

16 (9) calls on the United Nations Security Coun17 cil to condemn these unprovoked acts and to demand 

18 compliance with Resolution 1559, which requires 

19 that Hezbollah and other militias be disbanded and 

20 disarmed, and that all foreign forces be withdrawn 

21 from Lebanon; 

22 (10) urges all sides to protect innocent civilian 

23 life and infrastructure and strongly supports the use 

24 of all diplomatic means available to free the cap25 tured Israeli soldiers; and 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS
5 

•SRES 534 ATS 

1 (11) recognizes that thousands of American na2 tionals reside peacefully in Lebanon, and that those 

3 American nationals in Lebanon concerned for their 

4 safety should receive the full support and assistance 

5 of the United States government. 

Æ 


bajohnson on PROD1PC77 with BILLS