IV

105TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. CON. RES. 163

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States should not

provide assistance to terrorist organizations affiliated with the Palestinian

Authority or to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 1, 1997

Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. GILMAN, Mr. WELLER, Mr.

BRADY, Mr. SNOWBARGER, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania,

Mr. FORBES, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. NEUMANN, Mr.

HORN, Mr. PAXON, Mr. QUINN, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. KINGSTON, Mr.

GREENWOOD, Mr. WAXMAN, Mr. NADLER, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. FOLEY,

Mr. SAXTON, Mr. LINDER, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mrs. ROUKEMA, Mr. BONO,

Ms. HARMAN, Mr. CANNON, Mr. SHIMKUS, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. MANZULLO,

Mr. SOLOMON, and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the United States

should not provide assistance to terrorist organizations

affiliated with the Palestinian Authority or to the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (PBC).

Whereas the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (hereafter

the ‘‘PBC’’), an official arm of the Palestinian Authority,

has been engaged in serious offenses of broadcasting hostile propaganda against the United States and Israel;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority, via the PBC and its subsidiary, the Voice of Palestine, on Friday, September 12,
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•HCON 163 IH

1997, broadcast the speech of the Palestinian Authority

Mufti Ikrama Sabri who called on Muslims ‘‘to raise

[our] voices against America’’ and who referred to the

United States as the chief of the terrorists;

Whereas Mufti Sabri further advocated the destruction of the

United States by saying ‘‘Oh Allah, destroy America, her

agents and her allies! Cast them into their own traps,

and cover the White House with black!’’;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority, via the PBC and the

Voice of Palestine, on July 11, 1997, broadcast another

speech by Mufti Sabri when he called for the destruction

of the United States by saying ‘‘Oh Allah, destroy America . . . Allah will paint the White House black!’’;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority and PBC have also been

engaged in broadcasting hostile propaganda against the

State of Israel as demonstrated by the June 14, 1997,

broadcast of the Voice of Palestine in which the PBC

made statements calling the Palestinian people to violence, including stating that the Palestinian people have

the right to react to settlement terror via all means;

Whereas on May 22, 1997, the PBC, via the Voice of Palestine, read a poem which referred to Israelis as wolves,

tormentors, and dogs;

Whereas the Palestinian Authority is engaged in restrictive

journalism as exemplified by their Press Law of 1995

which restricts free press and states that editors-in-chief

must be Palestinian or non-Palestinian nationals who

have worked with the Palestine Liberation Organization;

Whereas the Congress believes that the actions of the Palestinian Authority, via its agency the PBC, threaten the
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•HCON 163 IH

national interests of the United States and the security

of its citizens;

Whereas the Congress believes that the actions of the Palestinian Authority, via the PBC, undermine the Middle

East peace process and incite hatred of, and fatal terrorist acts against, Israelis;

Whereas the Congress believes that the United States should

assist independent Palestinian journalists in their efforts

to provide the Palestinian people with a free and open

press; and

Whereas the Congress believes that the Palestinian Authority

and the PBC have failed to exercise journalistic integrity

and have engaged in actions that have harmed the prospects for peace in the Middle East: Now, therefore, be it

1 Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate

2 concurring), That it is the sense of the Congress that—

3 (1) the United States should not provide assist4 ance to any organization affiliated with the Palestin5 ian Authority that advocates the destruction of the

6 United States and supports acts of terrorism;

7 (2) the United States should not provide assist8 ance, either directly or indirectly, to the Palestinian

9 Broadcasting Corporation or any of its affiliated or

10 successor agencies; and

11 (3) the United States should support a system

12 of independent journalists in the Middle East who
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1 observe a code of professional journalism similar to

2 the code adopted by the Voice of America.

Æ