I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1372 

To clarify that it is United States policy to recognize Israel’s sovereignty 

over the Golan Heights. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 26, 2019 

Mr. GALLAGHER (for himself, Mr. MAST, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. BANKS, Ms. 

STEFANIK, Mr. COLE, Mr. MEADOWS, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. 

PERRY, Mr. MARSHALL, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. 

BUDD, and Mr. HICE of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the 

Committees on Ways and Means, Science, Space, and Technology, and 

Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 

in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To clarify that it is United States policy to recognize Israel’s 

sovereignty over the Golan Heights. 

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

3 That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 

4 that— 

5 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

6 Congress finds the following: 


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1 (1) On September 1, 1975, President Gerald 

2 Ford provided a diplomatic assurance to Israel that 

3 ‘‘the U.S. will support the position that an overall 

4 settlement with Syria in the framework of a peace 

5 agreement must assure Israel’s security from attack 

6 from the Golan Heights [and] it will give great 

7 weight to Israel’s position that any peace agreement 

8 with Syria must be predicated on Israel remaining 

9 on the Golan Heights’’. 

10 (2) In October 1991, Secretary of State James 

11 Baker provided a diplomatic assurance to Israel that 

12 ‘‘the United States continues to stand behind the as13 surance given by President Ford to Prime Minister 

14 Rabin on September 1, 1975’’. 

15 (3) Iran has used the war in Syria to establish 

16 a long-term military presence in the Levant, to at17 tack Israel from across the Golan Heights, and to 

18 create territorial corridors that allow it to provide 

19 arms to its troops and terrorist proxies. 

20 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

21 It is the sense of Congress that— 

22 (1) Israel’s security from attacks from Syria 

23 and Lebanon cannot be assured without Israeli sov24 ereignty over the Golan Heights; 


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1 (2) in light of new realities on the ground, in2 cluding Iran’s presence in Syria— 

3 (A) it is unrealistic to expect that the out4 come of a peace agreement between Israel and 

5 Syria will be an Israeli withdrawal from the 

6 Golan Heights; and 

7 (B) it is realistic to expect that any peace 

8 agreement between Israel and Syria will only be 

9 achieved on the basis of Israel remaining on the 

10 Golan Heights; and 

11 (3) it is in the United States national security 

12 interest to ensure that— 

13 (A) Israel retains control of the Golan 

14 Heights; and 

15 (B) the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad 

16 faces diplomatic and geopolitical consequences 

17 for its killing of civilians, the ethnic cleansing 

18 of Arab Sunnis, and the use of weapons of 

19 mass destruction. 

20 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF UNITED STATES POLICY. 

21 It shall be the policy of the United States— 

22 (1) to recognize Israel’s sovereignty over the 

23 Golan Heights; and 

24 (2) to promote and conduct joint projects with 

25 Israel on the Golan Heights, including projects— 


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1 (A) in basic and applied scientific fields; 

2 (B) in industrial research and develop3 ment; and 

4 (C) in strategic and applied research of ag5 ricultural problems. 

6 SEC. 4. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

7 Any reference to ‘‘Israel’’ in any existing or future 

8 Act of Congress relating to appropriations or foreign com9 merce, including customs and international trade, shall be 

10 interpreted to include the Golan Heights. 

Æ 


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