Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives regarding the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners with respect to the Palestinian Authority.

Whereas Israel as a strategic partner and ally of the United States has made significant breakthroughs in advancing peace with its neighbors as exemplified with the Peace Treaties with Egypt and the Kingdom of Jordan, and demonstrated its complete determination and willingness to fully establish peace with the Palestinians; Whereas since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the United States has committed more than $5,000,000,000 in bilateral assistance to the Palestinian Authority in the hopes of encouraging a permanent peace treaty with the State of Israel; Whereas since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been ruled by the designated foreign terrorist organization, Hamas, which has launched 10,000 rockets against Israel; Whereas the Palestinian Authority has administered Palestinians residing in the West Bank, Judea and Samaria, with Fatah as the leading Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO); Whereas President Barack Obama, then Senator, said in his speech on June 4, 2008, The long road to peace requires Palestinian partners committed to making the journey. We must isolate Hamas unless and until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel's right to exist, and abide by past agreements. There is no room at the negotiating table for terrorist organizations. Whereas Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has bypassed United States efforts to achieve peace between the Palestinian Authority and Israel, and is engaged in— (1) formation of a unity government with Hamas and his own party, Fatah; (2) pursuing statehood unilaterally at the United Nations, including applications and memberships to international institutions outside direct negotiations with Israel; (3) promoting anti-United States incitement, as well as, anti-Israel incitement, such as the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) movement against Israel; and (4) withholding reforms to advance religious freedom and recognition for all religions and ethnicities, and reforms to open the political process through fair and responsible elections, ensuring the freedom of speech, the press, and political assembly; Whereas today the Palestinian Authority is characterized by rampant corruption, as a single-party police organization ruled by Presidential degree, non-tolerance of internal debate and criticism, masters of internal oppression, anti-democracy and religious freedom, including the absence of national elections following the expiration of the current presidential term in January 2009, and therefore in the event of a creation of a Palestinian state under the current Palestinian Authority it would be autocratic and totalitarian; Whereas the Palestinian Authority's Law of the Prisoner mandates and authorizes the payment of salaries and other forms of compensation to convicted terrorists or any other recipient designated by a power of attorney, and the Ministry of Prisoners and programs of such Ministry compensate and recognize convicted terrorists in Israeli prisons and those of whom that have been released; Whereas the more carnage these terrorists inflict, the greater is their compensation; Whereas the Palestinian Authority’s highly advertised terrorist salary program incentivizes killings and bombings against innocent civilians, which includes the murder of at least 54 United States citizens since 1993 and more than 83 injured; Whereas no aid is permitted for a power-sharing Palestinian Authority government that includes Hamas as a member, or that results from an agreement with Hamas and over which Hamas exercises undue influence (1) recognition of the Jewish state of Israel’s right to exist (2) acceptance of previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements; Whereas annual appropriations legislation routinely contains conditions, limitations, and restrictions on United States assistance to the Palestinian Authority, including— (1) not permitting assistance for Hamas or a power-sharing government that includes Hamas as a member; (2) personnel located in Gaza; (3) if the Palestinian Authority government is Hamas-controlled; and (4) if the Palestinians obtain the same standing as member states or full membership as a member in the United Nations or any specialized agency thereof, except the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), outside an agreement negotiated between Israelis and Palestinians; and Whereas Hamas and Fatah unification stands in contravention with United States laws: Now, therefore, be it That— (1) the House of Representatives— (A) reaffirms United States law and annual appropriations legislation routinely containing conditions, limitations, and restrictions on United States assistance and cooperation to the Palestinian Authority; (B) reaffirms the United States commitment to a sustainable democratic framework for peace decided through direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leadership, without the interference of Hamas, in keeping with United States commitments to democracy, freedom, and the rights of peoples of all faiths and religions; and (C) calls on the United States Department of State to work closely with European partners and allies to support the simultaneous implementation of all necessary measures on suspending multilateral assistance and security cooperation to the Palestinian Authority; and (2) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that— (A) since Hamas and Fatah have unified, regardless of the unity government being made up of technocrats from Hamas and Fatah, the Secretary of State should, if the unity government is not dissolved, designate the Palestinian Authority and such unity government as a foreign terrorist organization, and redesignate the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as a foreign terrorist organization; and (B) it is in the national security interests of the United States and its allies and partners that the following objectives and conditions should be achieved with respect to the Palestinian Authority, including— (i) the Palestinian Authority dissolving the unity government with Hamas, a long designated a foreign terrorist organization, and for the Palestinian Authority to immediately renounce violence, outlaw terrorist groups, and re-enter into bilateral negotiations with the State of Israel; (ii) the Palestinian Authority formally and publically issuing recognition of the Jewish state of Israel’s right to exist (iii) repealing the Law of the Prisoner and abolishing the Ministry of Prisoners and programs of such Ministry relating to compensation and recognition of convicted terrorists and those of whom that have been released; (iv) rescinding the names and the naming of public institutions and civil projects, such as schools, streets, sports teams, and children camps after convicted terrorist and murders; (v) ending all efforts to circumvent the statehood process at the United Nations, including applications and memberships to international institutions outside direct negotiations with Israel; (vi) enacting reforms to advance religious freedom, and recognition for all religions and ethnicities, ensuring the freedom of speech, the press, and political assembly, and reforming to open the political process through fair and responsible elections without any influence or participation by Hamas; and (vii) abiding by all United States laws on foreign assistance to the Palestinian Authority.

Summary: Reaffirms U.S. law and appropriations legislation conditioning assistance to, and cooperation with, the Palestinian Authority (PA). Reaffirms the U.S. commitment to a democratic framework for peace decided through direct negotiations between Israeli and Palestinian leadership, without the interference of Hamas. Calls on the Department of State to work with European partners to support implementation of all necessary measures on suspending multilateral assistance to, and and security cooperation with, the PA. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that since Hamas and Fatah have unified, regardless of the unity government being made up of Hamas and Fatah technocrats, the Secretary of State should, if the unity government is not dissolved, designate the PA and such unity government as a foreign terrorist organization and redesignate the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as a foreign terrorist organization. Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it is in the national security interests of the United States and its partners that the following objectives and conditions be achieved: the PA dissolving the unity government with Hamas, a long-designated foreign terrorist organization, and for the PA to renounce violence, outlaw terrorist groups, and re-enter into bilateral negotiations with Israel; the PA formally and publicly recognizing the Jewish state of Israel's right to exist, accepting previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements, and ending all anti-U.S and anti-Israel incitement; repealing the Law of the Prisoner and abolishing the Ministry of Prisoners and programs relating to compensation and recognition of convicted terrorists; rescinding the names and the naming of public institutions and civil projects after convicted terrorist and murders; ending all efforts to circumvent the statehood process at the United Nations (U.N.), including applications and memberships to international institutions outside direct negotiations with Israel; enacting reforms to advance religious freedom and recognition for all religions and ethnicities, ensuring the freedoms of speech, the press, and political assembly, and reforming the political process through elections without any influence or participation by Hamas; and abiding by all U.S laws on foreign assistance to the PA.