I
106TH CONGRESS
2D SESSION
H. R. 5272
To provide for a United States response in the event of a unilateral
declaration of a Palestinian state.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
SEPTEMBER 25, 2000
Mr. GILMAN (for himself, Mr. NADLER, Mr. LAZIO, Mrs. LOWEY, and Mr.
REYNOLDS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on International Relations, and in addition to the Committee on
Banking and Financial Services, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To provide for a United States response in the event of
a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Peace Through Nego-
tiations Act of 2000’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Resolving the political status of the territory
controlled by the Palestinian Authority is one of the
central issues of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
(2) The Palestinian threat to declare an inde-
pendent state unilaterally constitutes a fundamental
violation of the underlying principles of the Oslo Ac-
cords and the Middle East peace process.
(3) On March 11, 1999, the Senate overwhelm-
ingly adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution 5, and
on March 16, 1999, the House of Representatives
adopted House Concurrent Resolution 24, both of
which resolved that: ‘‘any attempt to establish Pales-
tinian statehood outside the negotiating process will
invoke the strongest congressional opposition.’’.
(4) On July 25, 2000, Palestinian Chairman
Arafat and Israeli Prime Minister Barak issued a
joint statement agreeing that the ‘‘two sides under-
stand the importance of avoiding unilateral actions
that prejudice the outcome of negotiations and that
their differences will be resolved in good-faith nego-
tiations’’.
SEC. 3. POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES.
It shall be the policy of the United States to oppose
the unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state, to with-
hold diplomatic recognition of any Palestinian state that
is unilaterally declared, and to encourage other countries
and international organizations to withhold diplomatic rec-
ognition of any Palestinian state that is unilaterally de-
clared.
SEC. 4. MEASURES TO BE APPLIED IF A PALESTINIAN
STATE IS UNILATERALLY DECLARED.
(a) MEASURES.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sion of law, beginning on the date that a Palestinian state
is unilaterally declared and ending on the date such unilat-
eral declaration is rescinded or on the date of a signed
negotiated agreement between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority under the terms of which the establishment of
a Palestinian state is mutually agreed upon, the following
measures shall be applied:
(1) DOWNGRADE IN STATUS OF PALESTINIAN
OFFICE IN THE UNITED STATES.—
(A) Section 1003 of the Foreign Relations
Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989
(Public Law 100–204) as enacted on December
22, 1987, shall have the full force and effect of
law, and shall apply notwithstanding any waiver
or suspension of such section that was author-
ized or exercised subsequent to December 22,
1987.
(B) For purposes of such section, the term
‘‘Palestine Liberation Organization or any of its
constituent groups, any successor to any of
those, or any agents thereof’’ shall include the
Palestinian Authority and the government of
any unilaterally declared Palestinian state.
(C) Nothing in this paragraph shall be
construed to preclude—
(i) the establishment or maintenance
of a Palestinian information office in the
United States, operating under the same
terms and conditions as the Palestinian in-
formation office that existed prior to the
Oslo Accords; or
(ii) diplomatic contacts between Pales-
tinian officials and United States counter-
parts.
(2) PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES ASSIST-
ANCE TO A UNILATERALLY DECLARED PALESTINIAN
STATE.—United States assistance may not be pro-
vided, directly or indirectly, to the government of a
unilaterally declared Palestinian state, the Pales-
tinian Authority, or to any successor or related enti-
ty.
(3) PROHIBITION ON UNITED STATES ASSIST-
ANCE
TO
THE
WEST
BANK
AND
GAZA.—United
States assistance (except humanitarian assistance)
may not be provided to programs or projects in the
West Bank or Gaza.
(4) AUTHORITY
TO
WITHHOLD
PAYMENT
OF
UNITED
STATES
CONTRIBUTIONS
TO
INTER-
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT RECOGNIZE A UNI-
LATERALLY
DECLARED
PALESTINIAN
STATE.—The
President is authorized to—
(A) withhold up to 10 percent of the
United States assessed contribution to any
international organization that recognizes a uni-
laterally declared Palestinian state; and
(B) reduce the United States voluntary
contribution to any international organization
that recognizes a unilaterally declared Pales-
tinian state up to 10 percent below the level of
the United States voluntary contribution to
such organization in the fiscal year prior to the
fiscal year in which such organization recog-
nized a unilaterally declared Palestinian state.
(5) OPPOSITION
TO
LENDING
BY
INTER-
NATIONAL
FINANCIAL
INSTITUTIONS.—The Sec-
retary of the Treasury shall instruct the United
(b) DEFINITION.—For purposes of paragraphs (2)
and (3) of subsection (a), the term ‘‘United States
assistance’’—
(1) means—
(A) assistance under the Foreign Assist-
ance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.),
except—
(i) assistance under chapter 8 of part
I of such Act (relating to international
narcotics control assistance);
(ii) assistance under chapter 9 of part
I of such Act (relating to international dis-
aster assistance); and
(iii) assistance under chapter 6 of
part II of such Act (relating to assistance
for peacekeeping operations);
(B) assistance under the Arms Export
Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.), including
the license or approval for export of defense ar-
ticles and defense services under section 38 of
that Act; and
(C) assistance under the Export-Import
Bank Act of 1945; and
(2) does not include counter-terrorism assist-
ance.
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