III 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. CON. RES. 35 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States should continue 

to exercise its veto in the United Nations Security Council on resolutions 

regarding the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 19, 2016 

Mr. RUBIO (for himself and Mr. MANCHIN) submitted the following concurrent 

resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of Congress that the United States 

should continue to exercise its veto in the United Nations 

Security Council on resolutions regarding the IsraeliPalestinian peace process. 

Whereas it is long-standing practice of the United States 

Government that a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must come through direct, bilateral negotiations between the two parties; 

Whereas President Barack Obama has stated this longstanding practice at the United Nations General Assembly in 2011, expressing ‘‘genuine peace can only be realized between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves’’; 


sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•SCON 35 IS 

Whereas it is long-standing practice of the United States 

Government to veto any United Nations Security Council 

resolution dictating terms, conditions, and timelines on 

the peace process; 

Whereas President Barack Obama also expressed before the 

United Nations General Assembly in 2011, that ‘‘peace 

will not come through statements and resolutions at the 

United Nations—if it were that easy, it would have been 

accomplished by now’’; 

Whereas Yasser Arafat committed by letter dated September 

9, 1993, to then Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, ‘‘The 

PLO commits itself to the Middle East peace process and 

to the peaceful resolution of the conflict between the two 

sides and declares that all outstanding issues relating to 

permanent status will be resolved by negotiation.’’; 

Whereas the United States has vetoed 42 unconstructive, 

anti-Israel resolutions in the United Nations Security 

Council since 1972; 

Whereas after the United States voted against a resolution 

on Palestinian statehood, the United States Ambassador 

to the United Nations, Samantha Power, said the proposal was ‘‘deeply unbalanced’’, had ‘‘unconstructive 

deadlines’’, and failed to take ‘‘account of Israel’s security concerns’’; 

Whereas the United Nations is not the appropriate venue and 

should not be a forum used for seeking unilateral action, 

recognition, or dictating guidelines on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; 

Whereas in the two most recently completed United Nations 

General Assembly sessions, 21 of the 25 (68th Session) 


sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•SCON 35 IS 

and 20 of the 23 (69th Session) resolutions attacked 

Israel; 

Whereas the human rights bodies and agencies of the United 

Nations, such as the United Nations Human Rights 

Council, have consistently demonstrated unwarranted 

bias against Israel; and 

Whereas since 2006, 7 of the 23 Council’s sessions have focused on Israel and 61 of their 116 condemnations have 

unfairly singled out and targeted Israel: Now, therefore, 

be it 

1 Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives 

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

3 (1) a durable resolution to the Israeli-Pales4 tinian peace process can only come through direct, 

5 bilateral negotiations between Israel and the Pal6 estinians; 

7 (2) the United Nations cannot be a truly neu8 tral arbiter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and 

9 (3) the United States Government should con10 tinue to uphold its practice of vetoing any United 

11 Nations Security Council resolution that inserts the 

12 Council into the peace process, unilaterally recog13 nizes a Palestinian state, makes declarations con14 cerning Israeli-controlled territories, or dictates 

15 terms and a timeline for the Israeli-Palestinian 

16 peace process. 

Æ 


sradovich on DSK3TPTVN1PROD with BILLS