[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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