including Jews, Christians, and other 
groups. 
(11) The international definition of a refugee 
clearly applies to Jews who fled the persecution of 
Arab regimes and Iran, where a refugee is a person 
who ‘‘owing to a well-founded fear of being per-
secuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, 
membership of a particular social group, or political 
opinion, is outside the country of his nationality, and 
is unable to or, owing to such fear, is unwilling to 
avail himself of the protection of that country’’ (the 
1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees). 
(12) On January 29, 1957, the United Nations 
High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), deter-
mined that Jews fleeing from Arab countries were 
refugees who fell within the mandate of the 
UNHCR. 
(13) Dr. E. Jahn of the Office of the United 
Nations High Commissioner stated in a UNHCR 
declaration, on July 6, 1967: ‘‘I refer to our recent 
discussion concerning Jews from Middle Eastern 
and North African countries in consequence of re-
cent events. I am now able to inform you that such 
persons may be considered prima facie within the 
mandate of this Office.’’. 
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(14) Israel’s agreements with Egypt, Jordan, 
and the Palestinians have affirmed that a com-
prehensive solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict will 
require a just solution to the plight of all refugees. 
(15) Israel has adopted multiple government 
decisions affirming its long-standing position in sup-
port of the rights and claims of Jewish refugees 
from Arab countries and Iran. 
(16) In February 2010, the Israeli Knesset 
adopted a law preserving the rights for compensa-
tion for Jewish refugees who originated from Arab 
countries and Iran. According to this law, the Israeli 
government and its prime minister are instructed to 
raise the issue of compensation for private and com-
munal property during negotiations. 
(17) The initiative to secure rights and redress 
for Jews who were forced to flee Arab countries and 
Iran does not conflict with the right of Palestinian 
refugees to claim redress. 
(18) All countries should be aware of the plight 
of Jews and other minority groups displaced from 
countries in the Middle East, North Africa, and the 
Persian Gulf. 
(19) An international campaign has been pro-
ceeding in numerous countries, including the United 
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States, to record the history and legacy of Jewish 
refugees from Arab countries and Iran. 
(20) Media reports have indicated that the 
framework that Secretary of State John Kerry has 
proposed for the negotiations between the Israelis 
and Palestinians includes a proposal for compensa-
tion for Jewish refugees. 
SEC. 3. STATEMENTS OF POLICY. 
Congress makes the followings statements of policy: 
(1) A just, comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace 
cannot be reached without addressing the uprooting 
of centuries-old Jewish communities in the Middle 
East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf. 
(2) As a matter of law and equity, history re-
veals that there were two large refugee popu-
lations—Arabs and Jews—that were precipitated 
just before, during, and after the Arab-Israeli War 
in 1948. 
(3) It would be fundamentally unfair for the 
United States to recognize rights for one popu-
lation—Palestinian refugees—without recognizing 
equal rights for other refugees from that very same 
Middle East conflict—former Jewish, Christian and 
other refugees from Arab countries and Iran. 
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(4) Any United States Government statements 
that include a reference to the required resolution of 
the Palestinian refugee issue, such as at the United 
Nations or as part of the Middle East Quartet, must 
also include a similarly explicit reference to the reso-
lution of the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab 
countries and Iran. 
SEC. 4. REPORT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, 
the President shall submit to Congress a report on actions 
the Department of State and other relevant Federal de-
partments and agencies have taken relating to the resolu-
tion of the issue of Jewish refugees from Arab countries 
and Iran with respect to the preceding year. 
(b) MATTERS TO BE INCLUDED.—The report re-
quired by subsection (a) shall include a description of the 
following: 
(1) Actions in bilateral and multilateral fora to 
address the issue of rights for Jewish refugees from 
Arab countries, as expressed by the House of Rep-
resentatives in paragraph (2) of the first section of 
House Resolution 185 (as passed the House of Rep-
resentatives on April 1, 2008) and described in sec-
tion 2(10)(B) of this Act. 
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(2) Measures to help ensure that the interests 
of Jews displaced from Arab countries and Iran are 
considered in any final settlement of the Middle 
East refugee question that is part of any com-
prehensive Arab-Israeli peace. Such measures shall 
include statements on the issue and reports to the 
Middle East Quartet. 
(3) Efforts to make certain the interests of all 
refugees displaced as a result of the Arab-Israeli 
conflict, including Arabs, Jews, Christians, and 
other groups, are considered in any final settlement 
of the Middle East refugee question that is part of 
any comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace. 
(c) FORM.—The report required under subsection (a) 
shall be submitted in unclassified form, but may contain 
a classified annex if necessary. 
(d) TERMINATION.—The requirement to submit to 
Congress the report under subsection (a) shall terminate 
on the date on which the President certifies to Congress 
that an agreement has been agreed to between the parties 
to resolve the issues described in paragraphs (1), (2), and 
(3) of subsection (b). 
Æ 
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