H. Res. 575
In the House of Representatives, U.S., 
December 16, 2005.
Whereas the foundation for the Israeli-Palestinian peace 
process was Palestinian recognition of Israel’s right to 
exist and a solemn obligation to end terrorism and vio-
lence; 
Whereas the removal of all Israeli presence in Gaza signifies 
an end to Israeli responsibility there and a shift in secu-
rity responsibility of Gaza to the Palestinian Authority; 
Whereas Israel’s evacuation of Gaza affords the Palestinian 
Authority, now the responsible governing authority in 
Gaza, the opportunity to demonstrate its ability to gov-
ern, to establish the rule of law, to end corruption, and 
thereby to demonstrate that it is a partner for peace; 
Whereas Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas 
has repeatedly called for the establishment of ‘‘One Au-
thority, One Law, and One Gun’’; 
Whereas since the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, the 
Palestinian Authority has taken few steps to establish 
rule of law in Gaza; 
Whereas Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Bri-
gade, and other terrorist organizations have vowed to 
continue terrorism against Israeli civilians, seek the de-
•HRES 575 EH 
struction of the State of Israel, and employ violence and 
terror in fulfillment of that aim; 
Whereas the inclusion of Hamas, or any other terrorist group 
on the State Department list of foreign terrorist organi-
zations, into the Palestinian structure could be construed 
as an implicit endorsement of their anti-American and 
anti-Israeli terrorist ideology; 
Whereas the first provision of the Road Map to Middle East 
Peace calls for the Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist 
infrastructure; 
Whereas these terrorist organizations, including Hamas and 
Islamic Jihad, operate virtually without interference from 
the Palestinian Authority; 
Whereas Hamas has announced its intention to run in Pales-
tinian legislative elections scheduled for January 2006; 
Whereas Abbas has indicated his willingness to see Hamas 
participate in the elections without first calling for it to 
disband its militia or for it to renounce its goal of de-
stroying the State of Israel; 
Whereas the United States has clearly stated that armed mi-
litias attached to political parties are incompatible with 
democratic societies; 
Whereas President Bush has stated that Hamas ‘‘seeks to 
end dissent in every form, to control every aspect of life 
* * * the terrorists are preparing a future of oppression 
and misery’’; 
Whereas the forces of freedom must continue to keep an 
untiring vigil against the enemies of rising democracies; 
and
•HRES 575 EH 
Whereas the United States has a longstanding policy of not 
dealing or negotiating with terrorists: Now, therefore, be 
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) reaffirms its commitment to the safety and se-
curity of the democratic State of Israel; 
(2) asserts that terrorist organizations, such as 
Hamas, should not be permitted to participate in Pales-
tinian elections until such organizations recognize 
Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, 
condemn terrorism, and permanently disarm and dis-
mantle their terrorist infrastructure; 
(3) calls on the Palestinian Authority President 
Abbas before the election to declare openly his intention 
to take action to dismantle the terrorist organizations; 
(4) asserts that the inclusion of Hamas, or any 
other terrorist group on the Department of State’s list 
of foreign terrorist organizations, in the Palestinian 
Authority’s government will inevitably raise serious ques-
tions for the United States about the commitment of the 
Palestinian Authority and its leadership to making peace 
with Israel and will potentially undermine the ability of 
the United States to have a constructive relationship 
with, or provide further assistance to, the Palestinian 
Authority; and
•HRES 575 EH 
(5) states its strong belief that, as underlined in 
every 
recent 
Israeli–Palestinian 
peace 
agreement, 
progress in the peace process requires sustained Pales-
tinian effort to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure, 
and that delay in confronting that principal obligation 
only emboldens the opponents of peace and threatens its 
realization.
Attest:
Clerk.