IV 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 285

Condemning the recent terrorist attacks in the Middle East by Hamas and 

other terrorist organizations and urging the European Union to classify 

the entire entity of Hamas as a terrorist organization, and for other 

purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 19, 2003

Mr. DEUTSCH (for himself, Mr. KINGSTON, and Mr. LANTOS) submitted the 

following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International Relations 

RESOLUTION

Condemning the recent terrorist attacks in the Middle East 

by Hamas and other terrorist organizations and urging 

the European Union to classify the entire entity of 

Hamas as a terrorist organization, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States is currently engaged in a war 

against terrorism and Secretary of State Powell has stated that ‘‘there are no good terrorists’’; 

Whereas on its official list of ‘‘Terrorist Groups and Entities’’, the European Union currently designates only the 

so-called military wing of Hamas, ‘‘Izz al Din al 

Qassem’’, and not the entire entity of Hamas; 
2

•HRES 285 IH 

Whereas the failure by the European Union to designate the 

entire entity of Hamas on its official terrorist list is an 

obstacle to taking action against the financing of terrorism; 

Whereas the United States Government currently classifies 

the entire entity of Hamas as a terrorist organization; 

Whereas throughout the past decade of the Israeli-Palestinian 

peace process, Hamas and other terrorist organizations 

have continuously sought the failure of efforts toward 

peace through deadly terrorist attacks against civilians; 

Whereas in the 107th Congress, the House of Representatives adopted House Resolution 392, in which it stated 

that ‘‘Hamas is engaged in an organized, systematic, and 

deliberate campaign of terror aimed at inflicting as many 

casualties as possible upon the Israeli population, with an 

ultimate goal of annihilating the State of Israel’’; 

Whereas on June 4, 2003, President Bush stated at the 

peace summit in Aqaba, Jordan, that ‘‘Prime Minister 

Abbas now leads the Palestinian Cabinet . . . [b]y his 

strong leadership, by building the institutions of Palestinian democracy and by rejecting terror, he is serving 

the deepest hopes of his people’’; 

Whereas on June 8, 2003, just days after the hopeful peace 

summit in Aqaba, Hamas collaborated with other terrorist organizations to commit an unprecedented joint 

terrorist operation with the clear intent of thwarting any 

efforts toward peace; 

Whereas this first-ever joint terrorist attack by Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade killed four 

Israeli soldiers; 
3

•HRES 285 IH 

Whereas on June 11, 2003, Hamas boastfully claimed credit 

for orchestrating and carrying out the bombing of a bus 

in Jerusalem which killed seventeen and wounded more 

than 100 individuals; 

Whereas after these attacks, Abdul Aziz Rantissi, Hamas 

leader and spokesman, stated ‘‘[t]here will be no single 

Jew left in Palestine . . . [w]e will fight them with all 

the power that we have’’; 

Whereas even in the face of these deadly terrorist attacks by 

Hamas, Israel still followed through with its commitment 

to President Bush to begin dismantling illegal outposts in 

the West Bank; 

Whereas the Federal Bureau of Investigation has discovered 

financial links between charitable organizations and 

Hamas that indicate the funneling of money to support 

terrorist activity; 

Whereas Hamas is sponsoring the teaching of terrorism to 

Palestinian children and glorifying and inciting suicide 

bombing; 

Whereas the international community, as reflected in, inter 

alia, United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1368, 

1373, and 1377, is committed to fighting terrorism as 

well as reaching a peaceful resolution of the conflict in 

the Middle East; 

Whereas Hamas has rejected the current United States-led 

attempt at peace in the Middle East and reaffirmed its 

commitment toward the destruction of Israel; 

Whereas in 2003 alone, Hamas has taken credit for the murder of 55 Israeli citizens; 
4

•HRES 285 IH 

Whereas President Bush stated that ‘‘the free world—those 

who love freedom and peace—must deal harshly with 

Hamas and the killers’’; and 

Whereas the European Union is holding a summit on June 

20–21, 2003, in Thessoloniki, Greece, at which it can 

take appropriate action against Hamas: Now, therefore, 

be it

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives—

2 (1) condemns the recent terrorist attacks per3 petrated by Hamas and other terrorist organizations 

4 that intentionally sought to thwart the sincere ef5 forts of the United States and the world community 

6 to move toward peace in the Middle East at the 

7 hopeful summit in Aqaba, Jordan; 

8 (2) urges the European Union to classify the 

9 entire entity of Hamas as a terrorist organization 

10 enabling it to take further action to prohibit any 

11 funding from Europe to Hamas; 

12 (3) urges the Palestinian Authority to combat 

13 terrorism by establishing itself as the sole armed en14 tity within the Palestinian territories as soon as pos15 sible; and 

16 (4) stands in solidarity with Israel as it takes 

17 necessary steps toward peace and toward providing 

18 security to its people.

Æ