I 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5501 

To prohibit United States participation on the United Nations Human Rights 

Council (UNHRC) and prohibit contributions to the United Nations 

for the purpose of paying for any United Nations investigation into 

the flotilla incident. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 10, 2010 

Mr. KING of New York (for himself, Mr. PENCE, Mrs. MCMORRIS RODGERS, 

Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mr. MCKEON, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. GOHMERT, Mr. TIAHRT, Mr. FRANKS of Arizona, Mr. BUCHANAN, Mr. LATTA, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. HUNTER, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. CULBERSON, Mrs. BLACKBURN, Mrs. BACHMANN, Mr. ROSKAM, 

Mr. AUSTRIA, Mr. OLSON, Mr. BROUN of Georgia, Mr. POSEY, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mrs. MILLER of Michigan, Mr. DANIEL E. LUNGREN of California, Mr. LEE of New York, Mr. CARTER, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. COBLE, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. BURTON of Indiana, Mr. LEWIS of California, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. GALLEGLY, Mr. TERRY, 

Mr. KIRK, and Mr. BISHOP of Utah) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To prohibit United States participation on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and prohibit contributions to the United Nations for the purpose of paying for any United Nations investigation into the flotilla 

incident. 

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


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 5501 IH

1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘America Stands with 

3 Israel Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) A state of armed conflict exists between 

7 Israel and the Hamas regime controlling Gaza. 

8 Hamas has launched 10,000 rockets against Israeli 

9 civilians, and is presently smuggling in arms and 

10 military supplies into Gaza, by land and sea, in 

11 order to fortify its positions and continue its attacks. 

12 (2) Under international law, Israel has the 

13 right to protect the lives of its civilians from Hamas 

14 attacks, and, consequently, has undertaken measures 

15 to defend itself, including the imposition of a mari16 time blockade to curb Hamas rearmament. Under 

17 international maritime law, when a maritime block18 ade is in effect, no vessels can enter the blockaded 

19 area. Its use of force for soldiers to defend them20 selves is also acceptable under international law. 

21 (3) Hamas is a terrorist organization recog22 nized by the United States and the European Union 

23 whose charter calls for the destruction of Israel. 

24 Hamas has also illegally taken control of Gaza and 

25 has used rockets, mortars, and suicide bombs to kill 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 5501 IH

1 hundreds of Israelis and Americans inside of Israel, 

2 which it continues to this day. 

3 (4) Hamas is funded and directly supported by 

4 Iran which uses it as a proxy to fight Israel. In ad5 dition, Iran recently announced it would send Ira6 nian ships to escort future ships attempting to break 

7 the Gaza blockade. 

8 (5) In 2002, Israel intercepted the Karine A 

9 which was found to be carrying 50 tons of weapons 

10 destined for Hamas and, in 2009, Israel intercepted 

11 the Francop carrying hundreds of tons of weapons 

12 destined for Hezbollah. 

13 (6) Israel allows approximately 15,000 tons of 

14 supplies to enter Gaza on a daily basis. In the last 

15 18 months over a million tons of humanitarian sup16 plies have entered Gaza from Israel. 

17 (7) Even though Israel repeatedly warned the 

18 flotilla it would not be allowed entry in to Gaza and 

19 offered to deliver to Gaza the humanitarian goods 

20 that the flotilla was carrying, Israel was rebuffed. 

21 (8) Greta Berlin, one of the leaders of the flo22 tilla, admitted the purpose was not to bring humani23 tarian aid to Gaza but rather to end the blockade. 

24 (9) The main organizer of the flotilla was the 

25 Turkish Humanitarian Relief Foundation, which has 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 5501 IH

1 publicly affirmed its links to Hamas, maintains an 

2 office in Gaza, and has ties to other terrorist organi3 zations, including al-Qaeda, and several of the pas4 sengers on the flotilla have links or have provided fi5 nancial support to Hamas, Palestinian Islamic 

6 Jihad, and al-Qaeda. 

7 (10) According to its Web site, the United Na8 tions Human Rights Council is an intergovernmental 

9 body within the United Nations consisting of 47 

10 countries responsible for strengthening the pro11 motion and protection of human rights around the 

12 globe. However, its members include such notorious 

13 violators of human rights as China, Cuba, Egypt, 

14 Saudi Arabia, and Russia. In addition, the Human 

15 Rights Council has produced the deeply flawed and 

16 biased United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the 

17 Gaza Conflict (Goldstone Report) which was rejected 

18 by the Obama Administration and Congress, and at 

19 least 27 resolutions specifically condemning Israel. 

20 SEC. 3. STATEMENT OF CONGRESS. 

21 Congress declares that the United States stands with 

22 the Government of Israel and the Israeli people. 

23 SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

24 It is the sense of Congress that the United States— 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 5501 IH

1 (1) supports Israel’s unconditional right to de2 fend itself; 

3 (2) supports Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza; 

4 and 

5 (3) should oppose any United Nations inves6 tigation into the flotilla incident. 

7 SEC. 5. ACTIONS AT THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS 

8 COUNCIL; PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN CON9 TRIBUTIONS. 

10 (a) CESSATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—The Secretary of 

11 State shall direct the United States Permanent Represent12 ative to the United Nations to cease United States partici13 pation in and membership on the United Nations Human 

14 Rights Council. 

15 (b) PROHIBITION ON CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of State may 

17 not contribute to the United Nations any funds to 

18 be used to pay for an investigation into the flotilla 

19 incident. 

20 (2) RECAPTURE.—The Secretary of State shall 

21 ensure that no United States contributions to the 

22 United Nations are used for an investigation into 

23 the flotilla incident, including, where necessary, by 

24 withholding from United States contributions to the 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 5501 IH

1 regularly assessed biennial budget of the United Na2 tions amounts equal to any amounts so expended. 

Æ 


jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS