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Clay Cosponsors House Resolution Affirming U.S. Commitment to a

Negotiated Settlement of Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Restates Opposition to Unilateral Declaration of a Palestinian State

WASHINGTON, DC- Congressman Wm. Lacy Clay (D) Missouri praised passage of H.Res 268, which was approved in the U.S. House by a vote of 407-6.  The measure, which Mr. Clay cosponsored, strongly affirms the U.S. commitment to a negotiated settlement of the Israel-Palestinian conflict and rejects any effort to unilaterally declare a Palestinian State.

“America’s national interest is best served by our continued, unshakable commitment to the State of Israel as a Jewish, democratic state…living side-by-side with a homeland for the Palestinian people as determined by a negotiated settlement,” said the Congressman. 

Mr. Clay continued, “As President Obama said on May 19th: ‘For the Palestinians, efforts to delegitimize Israel will end in failure. Symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September won’t create an independent state. Palestinian leaders will not achieve peace or prosperity if Hamas insists on a path of terror and rejection. And Palestinians will never realize their independence by denying the right of Israel to exist.’ The President is absolutely correct.  I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their overwhelming bipartisan support of this resolution that I was proud to co-sponsor.”

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Highlights of U.S. House Resolution 268

-Reaffirms strong support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict resulting in two states, a democratic, Jewish state of Israel and a viable, democratic Palestinian state, living side-by-side in peace, security, and mutual recognition. 

-States a firm belief that any Palestinian unity government must publicly and formally forswear terrorism, accept Israel's right to exist, and reaffirm previous agreements made with Israel.

-Reiterates strong U.S. opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians urges Palestinian leaders to:

(A) Ensure that any Palestinian government will seek peace with Israel;

(B) Cease all efforts at circumventing the negotiation process, including through a unilateral declaration of statehood or by seeking recognition of a Palestinian state from other nations or the United Nations;

(C) Resume direct negotiations with Israel immediately and without preconditions; and

(D) Take appropriate measures to counter incitement to violence and fulfill all prior Palestinian commitments, including dismantling the terrorist infrastructure embodied in Hamas;

-Supports the Administration's opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and its use of the veto at the United Nations Security Council on February 18, 2011, the most recent example of a longstanding United States policy of vetoing unbalanced United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process; 

-Calls upon the Administration to announce that it will veto any resolution on Palestinian statehood that comes before the United Nations Security Council which is not a result of agreements reached between Israel and the Palestinians and calls upon the Administration to lead a diplomatic effort to oppose a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and to oppose recognition of a Palestinian state by other nations, within the United Nations, and in other international forums prior to achievement of a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians; 

-Affirms that Palestinian efforts to circumvent direct negotiations and pursue recognition of statehood prior to agreement with Israel will harm United States-Palestinian relations and will have serious implications for the United States assistance programs for the Palestinians and the Palestinians Authority; 

-Supports the position taken by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on April 22, 2009, that the United States `will not deal with or in any way fund a Palestinian government that includes Hamas unless and until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian Authority;

-Reaffirms the United States statutory requirement precluding assistance to a Palestinian Authority that includes Hamas unless that Authority and all its ministers publicly accept Israel's right to exist and all prior agreements and understandings with the United States and Israel.