H. Res. 268 
In the House of Representatives, U. S., 
July 7, 2011. 
Whereas the policy of the United States since 2002 has been 
to support a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli 
conflict; 
Whereas a true and lasting peace between Israel and the Pal-
estinians can only be achieved through direct negotiations 
between the parties and acceptance of each other’s right 
to exist; 
Whereas Palestine Liberation Organization Chair Yassir 
Arafat pledged in a letter to Israeli Prime Minister 
Yitzhak Rabin on September 9, 1993, that ‘‘all out-
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
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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’’; 
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-
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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; 
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
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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 so-
lution 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 recognition; 
(2) states its firm belief that any Palestinian unity 
government must publicly and formally forswear ter-
rorism, accept Israel’s right to exist, and reaffirm pre-
vious agreements made with Israel; 
(3) reiterates its strong opposition to any attempt 
to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state 
outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and 
the Palestinians; 
(4) urges Palestinian leaders to— 
(A) ensure that any Palestinian government 
will seek peace with Israel; 
(B) cease all efforts at circumventing the nego-
tiation process, including through a unilateral dec-
laration of statehood or by seeking recognition of a 
Palestinian state from other nations or the United 
Nations; 
(C) resume direct negotiations with Israel im-
mediately and without preconditions; and
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(D) take appropriate measures to counter in-
citement to violence and fulfill all prior Palestinian 
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 Council on 
February 18, 2011, the most recent example of a long-
standing United States policy of vetoing unbalanced 
United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding 
Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; 
(6) calls upon the Administration to announce that 
it will veto any resolution on Palestinian statehood 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 diplo-
matic effort to oppose a unilateral declaration of a Pal-
estinian state and to oppose recognition of a Palestinian 
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 circumvent 
direct negotiations and pursue recognition of statehood 
prior to agreement with Israel will harm United States-
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Palestinian relations and will have serious implications 
for the United States assistance programs for the Pal-
estinians and the Palestinians 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 violence, recognized 
Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of 
the Palestinian Authority.’’; 
(10) urges the administration to consider sus-
pending assistance to the Palestinian Authority pending 
a review of the unity agreement; and 
(11) reaffirms the United States statutory require-
ment precluding assistance to a Palestinian Authority 
that includes Hamas unless that Authority and all its 
ministers publicly accept Israel’s right to exist and all 
prior agreements and understandings with the United 
States and Israel. 
Attest: 
Clerk.