III 

112TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 185 

Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to a negotiated settlement 

of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, reaffirming opposition to the inclusion of Hamas in a unity 

government unless it is willing to accept peace with Israel and renounce 

violence, and declaring that Palestinian efforts to gain recognition of 

a state outside direct negotiations demonstrates absence of a good faith 

commitment to peace negotiations, and will have implications for continued United States aid. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 16, 2011 

Mr. CARDIN (for himself, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. THUNE, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. 

CASEY, and Mr. RISCH) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Reaffirming the commitment of the United States to a negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 

through direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, reaffirming opposition to the inclusion of Hamas in a unity 

government unless it is willing to accept peace with Israel 

and renounce violence, and declaring that Palestinian 

efforts to gain recognition of a state outside direct negotiations demonstrates absence of a good faith commitment to peace negotiations, and will have implications 

for continued United States aid. 


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•SRES 185 IS 

Whereas the policy of the United States since 2002 has been 

to support a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli 

conflict; 

Whereas a true and lasting peace between the people of Israel 

and the Palestinians can only be achieved through direct 

negotiations between the parties; 

Whereas Palestine Liberation Organization Chair Yassir 

Arafat wrote to Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on 

September 9, 1993, that ‘‘all outstanding issues relating 

to permanent status will be resolved through negotiations’’; 

Whereas the reconciliation agreement signed by Fatah and 

Hamas on May 4, 2011, was reached without Hamas 

being required to renounce violence, accept Israel’s right 

to exist, and accept prior agreements made by the Palestinians (the ‘‘Quartet conditions’’); 

Whereas Hamas, an organization responsible for the death of 

more than 500 innocent civilians, including two dozen 

United States citizens, has been designated by the United 

States Government as a foreign terrorist organization 

and a specially designated terrorist organization; 

Whereas Hamas kidnapped and has held captive Israeli sergeant Gilad Shalit in violation of international norms 

since June 25, 2006; 

Whereas Hamas continues to forcefully reject the possibility 

of negotiations or peace with Israel; 

Whereas, by contrast, Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin 

Netanyahu has accepted a two-state solution to the 

Israeli-Palestinian conflict; 

Whereas, on April 22, 2009, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated, ‘‘We will not deal with nor in any way fund 


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•SRES 185 IS 

a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless 

and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized 

Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the 

Palestinian Authority.’’; 

Whereas the United States, under two different Presidents, 

has vetoed 11 United Nations Security Council resolutions in the last 15 years related to the PalestinianIsraeli conflict and its outstanding issues; 

Whereas United States Permanent Representative to the 

United Nations Susan Rice stated on February 18, 2011, 

that it was ‘‘unwise’’ for the United Nations to attempt 

to resolve key issues between the Israelis and Palestinians; 

Whereas Palestinian leaders are pursuing a coordinated strategy to seek recognition of a Palestinian state within the 

United Nations, in other international forums, and from 

foreign governments; 

Whereas, on March 11, 1999, the Senate adopted Senate 

Concurrent Resolution 5 (106th Congress), and on 

March 16, 1999, the House of Representatives adopted 

House Concurrent Resolution 24 (106th Congress), both 

of which resolved that ‘‘any attempt to establish Palestinian statehood outside the negotiating process will invoke the strongest congressional opposition’’; 

Whereas current United States law precludes assistance to a 

Palestinian Authority that shares power with Hamas unless that Authority publicly accepts the right of Israel to 

exist and adheres to all prior agreements and understandings with the Governments of the United States and 

Israel; 


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•SRES 185 IS 

Whereas the United States Government provides more than 

$550,000,000 annually and more than $3,500,000,000 

cumulatively in direct bilateral assistance to the Palestinians, who are among the world’s largest recipients of foreign aid per capita; 

Whereas aid to the Palestinians is predicated on a good faith 

commitment from the Palestinians to the peace process; 

Whereas abandonment by Palestinian leaders of the Quartet 

conditions and inclusion of Hamas in a government could 

jeopardize the positive steps the Palestinian Authority 

has taken in building institutions and improving security 

in the West Bank in recent years; and 

Whereas efforts to form a unity government without accepting the Quartet conditions, to bypass negotiations and 

unilaterally declare a Palestinian state, or to appeal to 

the United Nations or other international forums or to 

foreign governments for recognition of a Palestinian state 

would violate the underlying principles of the Oslo Accords, the Road Map, and other relevant Middle East 

peace process efforts: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated 

3 solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting 

4 in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel 

5 and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living 

6 side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recogni7 tion; 

8 (2) states its firm belief that any Palestinian 

9 unity government must publicly and formally forVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:44 May 17, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR185.IS SR185

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•SRES 185 IS 

1 swear terrorism, accept Israel’s right to exist, and 

2 reaffirm previous agreements made with the Govern3 ment of Israel; 

4 (3) reiterates its strong opposition to any at5 tempt to establish or seek recognition of a Pales6 tinian state outside of an agreement negotiated be7 tween leaders in Israel and the Palestinians; 

8 (4) urges Palestinian leaders— 

9 (A) to ensure that any Palestinian govern10 ment will seek peace with Israel; 

11 (B) to cease all efforts at circumventing 

12 the negotiation process, including through a 

13 unilateral declaration of statehood or quests for 

14 recognition of a Palestinian state from other 

15 nations or the United Nations; 

16 (C) to resume direct negotiations with the 

17 Government of Israel immediately and without 

18 preconditions; and 

19 (D) to take appropriate measures to 

20 counter incitement to violence and fulfill all 

21 prior Palestinian commitments, including dis22 mantling the terrorist infrastructure embodied 

23 in Hamas; 

24 (5) supports the opposition of the President to 

25 a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and 


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•SRES 185 IS 

1 the veto by the United States on February 18, 2011, 

2 of the most recent United Nations Security Council 

3 resolution regarding a key issue of the Israeli-Pales4 tinian process; 

5 (6) calls upon the President to announce that 

6 the United States will veto any resolution on Pales7 tinian statehood that comes before the United Na8 tions Security Council which is not a result of agree9 ments reached between the Government of Israel 

10 and the Palestinians; 

11 (7) calls upon the President to lead a diplo12 matic effort to oppose a unilateral declaration of a 

13 Palestinian state and to oppose recognition of a Pal14 estinian state by other nations, within the United 

15 Nations, and in other international forums prior to 

16 achievement of a final agreement between the Gov17 ernment of Israel and the Palestinians; 

18 (8) will consider restrictions on aid to the Pal19 estinian Authority should it persist in efforts to cir20 cumvent direct negotiations by turning to the United 

21 Nations or other international bodies; 

22 (9) supports the position taken by Secretary of 

23 State Hillary Clinton on April 22, 2009, that the 

24 United States ‘‘will not deal with or in any way fund 

25 a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unVerDate Mar 15 2010 00:44 May 17, 2011 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR185.IS SR185

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•SRES 185 IS 

1 less and until Hamas has renounced violence, recog2 nized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obliga3 tions of the Palestinian Authority’’; 

4 (10) urges the President to consider suspending 

5 assistance to the Palestinian Authority pending a re6 view of the unity agreement between Fatah and 

7 Hamas; and 

8 (11) reaffirms the requirement under United 

9 States law precluding assistance to a Palestinian 

10 Authority that shares power with Hamas unless that 

11 Authority and all its ministers publicly accept the 

12 right of Israel to exist and all prior agreements and 

13 understandings with the Governments of the United 

14 States and Israel. 

Æ 


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