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[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3629 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3629

To affirm United States recognition of Israel's sovereignty, security, 
         and legal right to its lands, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2013

   Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr. 
Lamborn, Mr. McIntyre, and Mr. Duncan of South Carolina) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

 
To affirm United States recognition of Israel's sovereignty, security, 
         and legal right to its lands, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Israel Sovereignty and Security 
Recognition Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) For more than 3,000 years, the Jewish People have 
        maintained a continuous connection and presence in the Land of 
        Israel and their eternal and indivisible capital city of 
        Jerusalem.
            (2) In 1920, the legal title of the Jewish People to their 
        homeland, including the present lands of the State of Israel, 
        was affirmed and recognized under modern international law in 
        the San Remo Resolution, and has not been subsequently 
        abrogated by any binding legal instrumentality.
            (3) In 1922, the aforementioned act of international law 
        was acknowledged by both chambers of the United States Congress 
        via a joint resolution and signed by President Warren G. 
        Harding.
            (4) In 1945, Article 80 of the United Nations charter 
        recognized the continued validity of the rights granted to 
        states or peoples which already existed under international 
        instruments, including those of the Jewish People and their 
        homeland.
            (5) On May 14, 1948, the Jewish national homeland declared 
        its renewed independence and self-governance as the modern 
        State of Israel, with the United States being the first country 
        to offer recognition of Israel's statehood.
            (6) From 1948 to 1967, Syria controlled the Golan Heights 
        and used it as a military stronghold from which its troops 
        routinely attacked Israeli civilians.
            (7) In 1967, the Golan Heights was restored to Israel after 
        Israel was attacked by Syria during the conflict known as the 
        Six Day War. Since then Israel has guaranteed the peace and 
        safety of all who reside there.
            (8) The Golan Heights contains more than one-third of 
        Israel's water resources, and are vital and strategically 
        indispensable to the security, well-being, and continued 
        existence of the State of Israel, allowing Israel to detect and 
        defend from infiltration, attacks, and hostilities that have 
        historically originated and currently emanate from Syria.
            (9) From 1948 to 1967, Jerusalem was a divided city where 
        persons of all faiths were precluded from freely worshiping or 
        visiting their respective holy sites in the area controlled by 
        Jordan.
            (10) In 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunited after 
        Israel was attacked by Jordan during the conflict known as the 
        Six Day War. Since then Israel has guaranteed freedom of 
        religion and full access to holy sites for people of all 
        faiths.
            (11) Israel's government and civil institutions, including 
        the Knesset, the Bank of Israel, the Ministry of Foreign 
        Affairs, the Prime Minister's and President's offices, and the 
        Supreme Court, are all based in Jerusalem.
            (12) In 1990, Congress unanimously adopted Senate 
        Concurrent Resolution 106, which declares that Congress 
        ``strongly believes that Jerusalem must remain an undivided 
        city in which the rights of every ethnic religious group are 
        protected''.
            (13) In 1995, Congress overwhelmingly approved the 
        Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45), requiring 
        the establishment of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem by 
        not later than May 31, 1999.
            (14) The United States Government maintains its embassy in 
        the functioning capital of every country except in the State of 
        Israel.
            (15) The United States Government owns property in Tel 
        Aviv, where its embassy is presently located, that was acquired 
        at a cost of $1.00 in 1957.
            (16) The United States Government maintains five Government 
        locations in Jerusalem, totaling more than 40,000 square feet 
        of building space and 14 acres of land.
            (17) The United States Government's consular building 
        located at 14 David Flusser Street in Jerusalem is an ideal 
        location for the United States Embassy to Israel. The 
        Department of State completed construction of the facility in 
        2010, and the six-acre site is under lease for 75 years.
            (18) Recognizing Israel's sovereignty, security, and legal 
        right to Jerusalem and the Golan Heights is consistent with the 
        will of the overwhelming majority of Americans, and in this 
        action the United States will send a much-needed signal of 
        support for Israel, its security, and its rights under 
        international law.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the United States should recognize Israel's 
        sovereignty, security, and legal right to its lands, including 
        the Golan Heights and the city of Jerusalem as the indivisible 
        and eternal capital of the State of Israel;
            (2) transferring the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to 
        Jerusalem will send a much-needed signal of United States 
        support for Israel, its security, and its rights under 
        international law; and
            (3) the Secretary of State should--
                    (A) without delay, transfer the United States 
                Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, to 14 David Flusser 
                Street, Jerusalem, Israel; and
                    (B) take such actions as are necessary to either 
                repurpose or sell at an appropriate market rate the 
                United States Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, and, if the 
                Embassy is sold, deposit in the Asset Management 
                Account of the Department of State the proceeds from 
                such sale.

SEC. 4. AMENDMENT TO THE JERUSALEM EMBASSY ACT OF 1995.

    (a) Repeal.--Subject to subsection (b), section 7 of the Jerusalem 
Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45) is repealed.
    (b) Effective Date.--The repeal specified in subsection (a) shall 
take effect on the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment 
of this Act.
                                 <all>
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