•HRES 268 IH 
standing issues relating to permanent status will be re-
solved through negotiations’’ a pledge that served as a 
critical basis for the Israeli-PLO Declaration of Prin-
ciples signed 4 days later; 
Whereas the unity agreement signed by Fatah and Hamas on 
May 4, 2011, was reached without Hamas being required 
to renounce violence, accept Israel’s right to exist, and 
accept prior agreements made by the Palestinians (the 
‘‘Quartet conditions’’); 
Whereas Hamas, an organization responsible for the death of 
more than 500 innocent civilians, including 24 United 
States citizens, has been designated by the United States 
Government as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a 
specially designated terrorist organization; 
Whereas Hamas kidnapped and has held Israeli sergeant 
Gilad Shalit in captivity in violation of international 
norms since June 25, 2006; 
Whereas Hamas continues to forcefully reject the possibility 
of peace with Israel; 
Whereas Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 
accepted a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian 
conflict and has consistently advocated for immediate di-
rect negotiations with the Palestinians, who, in turn, 
have prevented negotiations by insisting on unprece-
dented pre-conditions; 
Whereas, on April 22, 2009, Secretary of State Hillary 
Rodham Clinton stated, ‘‘We will not deal with nor in 
any way fund a Palestinian government that includes 
Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, 
recognized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obli-
gations of the Palestinian Authority’’; 
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•HRES 268 IH 
Whereas United States Ambassador to the United Nations, 
Susan Rice, stated on February 18, 2011, that it was 
‘‘unwise’’ for the United Nations to attempt to resolve 
key issues between the Israelis and Palestinians; 
Whereas Palestinian leaders are pursuing a coordinated strat-
egy to seek recognition of a Palestinian state within the 
United Nations and directly from foreign governments; 
Whereas, on December 15, 2010, the House adopted House 
Resolution 1765, which reaffirmed that the House of 
Representatives supports a negotiated solution to the 
Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a 
democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, demo-
cratic Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace, secu-
rity, and mutual recognition and opposes any attempt to 
establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state out-
side of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the 
Palestinians; 
Whereas current United States law precludes assistance to a 
Palestinian Authority which shares power with Hamas 
unless that Authority publicly accepts Israel’s right to 
exist and adheres to all prior agreements and under-
standings with the United States and Israel; 
Whereas the United States annually provides more than $550 
million annually and has provided more than $3.5 billion 
cumulatively in direct bilateral assistance to the Palestin-
ians, who are among the world’s largest recipients of for-
eign aid per capita; 
Whereas United States aid to the Palestinians is predicated 
on a good faith commitment from the Palestinians to the 
peace process including direct negotiations with Israel; 
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•HRES 268 IH 
Whereas Palestinian abandonment of the Quartet conditions 
and inclusion of Hamas in a government would jeop-
ardize the positive steps the Palestinian Authority has 
taken in building institutions and improving security in 
the West Bank in recent years; and 
Whereas efforts to form a unity government without accept-
ing the Quartet conditions, to bypass negotiations and 
unilaterally declare a Palestinian state, or to appeal to 
the United Nations or other international forums, or di-
rectly to foreign governments for recognition of a Pales-
tinian state, violate the underlying principles of the Oslo 
Accords, the Road Map, and other relevant Middle East 
peace process agreements, all of which require resolution 
of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through direct negotia-
tions only: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) reaffirms its strong support for a negotiated 
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting 
in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel 
and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living 
side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recogni-
tion; 
(2) states its firm belief that any Palestinian 
unity government must publicly and formally for-
swear terrorism, accept Israel’s right to exist, and 
reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel; 
(3) reiterates its strong opposition to any at-
tempt to establish or seek recognition of a Pales-
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•HRES 268 IH 
tinian state outside of an agreement negotiated be-
tween Israel and the Palestinians; 
(4) urges Palestinian leaders to— 
(A) ensure that any Palestinian govern-
ment will seek peace with Israel; 
(B) cease all efforts at circumventing the 
negotiation process, including through a unilat-
eral declaration of statehood or by seeking rec-
ognition of a Palestinian state from other na-
tions or the United Nations; 
(C) resume direct negotiations with Israel 
immediately and without preconditions; and 
(D) take appropriate measures to counter 
incitement to violence and fulfill all prior Pales-
tinian commitments, including dismantling the 
terrorist infrastructure embodied in Hamas; 
(5) supports the Administration’s opposition to 
a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and its 
use of the veto at the United Nations Security Coun-
cil on February 18, 2011, the most recent example 
of a longstanding United States policy of vetoing un-
balanced United Nations Security Council resolu-
tions regarding Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian 
peace process; 
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•HRES 268 IH 
(6) calls upon the Administration to announce 
that it will veto any resolution on Palestinian state-
hood that comes before the United Nations Security 
Council which is not a result of agreements reached 
between Israel and the Palestinians; 
(7) calls upon the Administration to lead a dip-
lomatic effort to oppose a unilateral declaration of a 
Palestinian state and to oppose recognition of a Pal-
estinian state by other nations, within the United 
Nations, and in other international forums prior to 
achievement of a final agreement between Israel and 
the Palestinians; 
(8) affirms that Palestinian efforts to cir-
cumvent direct negotiations and pursue recognition 
of statehood prior to agreement with Israel will 
harm United States-Palestinian relations and will 
have serious implications for the United States as-
sistance programs for the Palestinians and the Pal-
estinians Authority; 
(9) supports the position taken by Secretary of 
State Hillary Rodham Clinton on April 22, 2009, 
that the United States ‘‘will not deal with or in any 
way fund a Palestinian government that includes 
Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced vio-
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