Title: Objecting to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 as an obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and for other purposes.
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the passage of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334:
Such resolution characterizes Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and demands cessation of settlement activities.
Declares that:
Declares that the House opposes Security Council Resolution 2334 and will work to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship.
Calls for such resolution to be repealed or fundamentally altered.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 11 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 11

  Objecting to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 as an 
     obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2017

   Mr. Royce of California (for himself, Mr. Engel, Mrs. Carolyn B. 
 Maloney of New York, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Graves of Missouri, Ms. Sinema, 
 Mr. Hudson, Miss Rice of New York, Mr. Joyce of Ohio, Mr. Perry, Ms. 
   Ros-Lehtinen, Mr. Deutch, Mr. Nunes, Mrs. Lowey, Mr. Smith of New 
  Jersey, Mr. Sherman, Mr. Zeldin, Ms. Meng, Mr. Yoho, Ms. Frankel of 
    Florida, Mr. Chabot, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Duncan of South 
    Carolina, Mr. Sires, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Brendan F. Boyle of 
   Pennsylvania, Mr. Yoder, Mr. Banks of Indiana, Mr. Moolenaar, Mr. 
 Luetkemeyer, Mr. Sessions, Mr. Hill, Mr. Hastings, Mr. Schneider, Mr. 
Marino, Mr. Vargas, Mr. Nadler, Mr. Soto, Mr. Kilmer, Mr. Gene Green of 
Texas, Mr. Espaillat, Mr. Carter of Texas, Mr. Norcross, Mr. Wilson of 
   South Carolina, Mr. Marchant, Mr. Diaz-Balart, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. 
  Burgess, Mr. Stewart, Mr. Gallagher, Mr. Abraham, Mr. Dunn, and Mr. 
Newhouse) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Objecting to United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 as an 
     obstacle to Israeli-Palestinian peace, and for other purposes.

Whereas the United States has long supported a negotiated settlement leading to 
        a sustainable two-state solution with the democratic, Jewish state of 
        Israel and a demilitarized, democratic Palestinian state living side-by-
        side in peace and security;
Whereas since 1993, the United States has facilitated direct, bilateral 
        negotiations between both parties toward achieving a two-state solution 
        and ending all outstanding claims;
Whereas it is the long-standing policy of the United States that a peaceful 
        resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only come through 
        direct, bilateral negotiations between the two parties;
Whereas it is the long-standing position of the United States to oppose and, if 
        necessary, veto United Nations Security Council resolutions dictating 
        additional binding parameters on the peace process;
Whereas it is the long-standing position of the United States to oppose and, if 
        necessary, veto one-sided or anti-Israel resolutions at the United 
        Nations Security Council;
Whereas the United States has stood in the minority internationally over 
        successive Administrations in defending Israel in international forums, 
        including vetoing one-sided resolutions in 2011, 2006, 2004, 2003, 2002, 
        2001, 1997, and 1995 before the United Nations Security Council;
Whereas the United States recently signed a new Memorandum of Understanding with 
        the Government of Israel regarding security assistance, consistent with 
        longstanding support for Israel among successive Administrations and 
        congresses and representing an important United States commitment toward 
        Israel's qualitative military edge;
Whereas on November 29, 2016, the House of Representatives unanimously passed 
        House Concurrent Resolution 165, expressing the sense of Congress and 
        reaffirming longstanding United States policy in support of a direct 
        bilaterally negotiated settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 
        and opposition to United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing a 
        solution to the conflict;
Whereas on December 23, 2016, the United States Permanent Representative to the 
        United Nations disregarded House Concurrent Resolution 165 and departed 
        from longstanding United States policy by abstaining and permitting 
        United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to be adopted under 
        Chapter VI of the United Nations Charter;
Whereas the United States' abstention on United Nations Security Council 
        Resolution 2334 contradicts the Oslo Accords and its associated process 
        that is predicated on resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict between 
        the parties through direct negotiations;
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 claims that ``the 
        establishment by Israel of settlements in the Palestinian territory 
        occupied since 1967, including East Jerusalem, has no legal validity and 
        constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major 
        obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, 
        lasting and comprehensive peace'';
Whereas by referring to the ``4 June 1967 lines'' as the basis for negotiations, 
        United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 effectively states that 
        the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem and the Western Wall, 
        Judaism's holiest site, are ``occupied territory'' thereby equating 
        these sites with outposts in the West Bank that the Israeli government 
        has deemed illegal;
Whereas passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 effectively 
        lends legitimacy to efforts by the Palestinian Authority to impose its 
        own solution through international organizations and through unjustified 
        boycotts or divestment campaigns against Israel by calling ``upon all 
        States, bearing in mind paragraph 1 of this resolution, to distinguish, 
        in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel 
        and the territories occupied since 1967'', and will require the United 
        States and Israel to take effective action to counteract the potential 
        harmful impact of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334;
Whereas UNSCR 2334 did not directly call upon Palestinian leadership to fulfill 
        their obligations toward negotiations or mention that part of the 
        eventual Palestinian state is currently controlled by Hamas, a 
        designated terrorist organization; and
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 both sought to impose or 
        unduly influence solutions to final status issues, and is biased against 
        Israel: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That --
            (1) it is the sense of the House of Representatives that--
                    (A) the passage of United Nations Security Council 
                Resolution 2334 undermined the long-standing position 
                of the United States to oppose and veto United Nations 
                Security Council resolutions that seek to impose 
                solutions to final status issues, or are one-sided and 
                anti-Israel, reversing decades of bipartisan agreement;
                    (B) the passage of United Nations Security Council 
                Resolution 2334 undermines the prospect of Israelis and 
                Palestinians resuming productive, direct negotiations;
                    (C) the passage of United Nations Security Council 
                Resolution 2334 contributes to the politically 
                motivated acts of boycott, divestment from, and 
                sanctions against Israel and represents a concerted 
                effort to extract concessions from Israel outside of 
                direct negotiations between the Israelis and 
                Palestinians, which must be actively rejected;
                    (D) any future measures taken in international or 
                outside organizations, including the United Nations 
                Security Council or at the Paris conference on the 
                Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for January 15, 
                2017, to impose an agreement, or parameters for an 
                agreement including the recognition of a Palestinian 
                state, will set back the cause of peace, harm the 
                security of Israel, run counter to the enduring 
                bipartisan consensus on strengthening the United 
                States-Israel relationship, and weaken support for such 
                organizations;
                    (E) a durable and sustainable peace agreement 
                between Israel and the Palestinians will come only 
                through direct bilateral negotiations between the 
                parties resulting in a Jewish, democratic state living 
                side-by-side next to a demilitarized Palestinian state 
                in peace and security;
                    (F) the United States should work to facilitate 
                serious, direct negotiations between the parties 
                without preconditions toward a sustainable peace 
                agreement; and
                    (G) the United States Government should oppose and 
                veto future United Nations Security Council resolutions 
                that seek to impose solutions to final status issues, 
                or are one-sided and anti-Israel; and
            (2) the House of Representatives opposes United Nations 
        Security Council Resolution 2334 and will work to strengthen 
        the United States-Israel relationship, and calls for United 
        Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to be repealed or 
        fundamentally altered so that--
                    (A) it is no longer one-sided and anti-Israel; and
                    (B) it allows all final status issues toward a two-
                state solution to be resolved through direct bilateral 
                negotiations between the parties.
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