[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 294 Engrossed in House (EH)]
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
June 25, 2003.
Whereas Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) announced
at the June 4, 2003, Aqaba Summit, ``Our goal is clear, and we will
implement it firmly and without compromise: a complete end to violence
and terrorism'';
Whereas Prime Minister Abbas also pledged at the Aqaba Summit to establish a
system based on ``rule of law, [a] single political authority, [and]
weapons only in the hands of those who are in charge of upholding the
law and order . . .'';
Whereas the Middle East roadmap begins with the assertion that ``A two state
solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will only be achieved
through an end to violence and terrorism (when the Palestinian people
have a leadership acting decisively against terror and willing and able
to build a practicing democracy based on tolerance and liberty)'';
Whereas 22 innocent Israelis nevertheless were murdered and scores wounded in
three separate suicide bombings within less than a week after the Aqaba
Summit, and the death toll from these terrorist actions is the
equivalent of 1,100 on the basis of the United States population, nearly
ten times the number of battle deaths the United States suffered in the
recent Iraq War;
Whereas Palestinians are also victims of these terrorists, who undermine
prospects for a just and lasting peace;
Whereas Islamic fundamentalist Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad consistently
make clear their opposition to Israel's existence in any form and within
any borders and their determination to use violence and terrorism to
achieve their anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic goals, and Hamas leader Abdel
Aziz Rantisi vowed ``not to leave one Jew in Palestine'';
Whereas experience with terrorism demonstrates that there can be no productive
negotiations or dialogue with terrorists and that a policy based on
compromise with terrorists can only be doomed to failure;
Whereas the concept of ``cycle of violence'', which implies moral equivalence
between terrorists and their victims, should be rejected as a
description of Israeli-Palestinian dynamics, since Palestinian terrorism
justifies Israeli counterterrorist operations as the response of a
legitimate government defending its citizens;
Whereas Israeli counterterrorist operations would cease entirely were
Palestinian terrorism to cease; and
Whereas Israel has no choice but to use its own measures to fight terrorism if
the Palestinians are unwilling to do so: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) condemns in the harshest terms the recent terrorist actions that
victimized innocent Israelis;
(2) expresses solidarity with the Israeli people as they respond to
ongoing terrorist attacks;
(3) expresses sympathy to the families of innocent Israelis and
Palestinians who have lost their lives;
(4) commends the President of the United States for his vision of
two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and
security;
(5) affirms that this vision can be fully realized only once
terrorism is defeated, so that a new state may be created based on rule
of law and respect for human rights;
(6) recognizes and respects Israel's right to fight terrorism and
acknowledges Israel's fight against terrorism as part of the global war
against terrorism;
(7) calls on all states to cease recognition of and political and
material support for any Palestinian and other terrorist groups;
(8) calls on all states immediately to establish effective
mechanisms to ensure that funding from private citizens cannot be
directed to terrorist groups for any purpose whatsoever, including
ostensible humanitarian purposes;
(9) calls on all states to provide support to the Palestinian
Authority in its effort to confront and fight terror; and
(10) calls on all states to assist the Palestinian people in
creating the institutions of a democratic state that will respect the
rule of law and live in peace with its neighbors.
Attest:
Clerk.