Title: Deploring the actions of the Palestinian Authority to join the International Criminal Court and undertake legal action through the Court against Israel.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Declares that the House of Representatives views lawfare (the abuse of law to achieve political and military means) as a threat to U.S. military activities abroad and to those of U.S. democratic allies and believes it is vital to take a stand against its use in order to protect the Nation's best interests.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 109 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 109

    Deploring the actions of the Palestinian Authority to join the 
  International Criminal Court and undertake legal action through the 
                         Court against Israel.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 7, 2017

Mrs. Walorski submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Deploring the actions of the Palestinian Authority to join the 
  International Criminal Court and undertake legal action through the 
                         Court against Israel.

Whereas the House of Representatives supports the long-standing position of the 
        United States Government to insist on the resolution of the Israel-
        Palestinian conflict through direct negotiations between the two 
        parties;
Whereas the House of Representatives has long appropriated United States 
        taxpayer funds to facilitate a negotiated solution between the two 
        parties;
Whereas the House of Representatives believes the current policy of the 
        Palestinian Authority to seek legitimacy for unilateral statehood 
        through international institutions is toxic to the prospects of a 
        negotiated solution with Israel;
Whereas the term ``lawfare'' means the abuse of law to achieve political and 
        military means and has as its goals the delegitimization of the 
        sovereignty of democratic states and the obstruction of democracies to 
        fight against and defeat terrorism;
Whereas the House of Representatives believes that the current policy of the 
        Palestinian Authority to consider and potentially seek legal action 
        against Israel through the International Criminal Court is a politically 
        motivated action designed to put political pressure on Israel outside 
        the context of direct negotiations, weaken Israel's sovereignty, and 
        hinder Israel's ability to fight against and defeat terrorism, the House 
        of Representatives believes the Palestinian Authority policy constitutes 
        an act of lawfare;
Whereas the use of lawfare is a national security danger to all democracies, 
        including the United States and its democratic allies, who engage their 
        militaries to defend their sovereignty and fight against and defeat 
        terrorism, the House of Representatives views the current policy of the 
        Palestinian Authority to use lawfare against Israel as a dangerous 
        precedent that threatens the national security of the United States and 
        its democratic allies; and
Whereas the United States Congress passed the American Service Members 
        Protection Act, which became law on August 2, 2002, that protects United 
        States citizens and allied persons by protecting them from the 
        jurisdiction, investigation, arrest, detainment, prosecution or 
        imprisonment by or on behalf of the International Criminal Court with 
        respect to actions undertaken by them in an official capacity: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives views lawfare as a 
threat to United States military activities abroad and those of the 
United States democratic allies, and believes it is vital to take a 
stand against its use in order to protect the Nation's best interests.
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