Asserting that Hamas and other terrorist organizations should not participate in elections held by the Palestinian Authority, and for other purposes.

Reaffirms the House of Representatives' commitment to the security of Israel.

Asserts that: (1) terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections until such organizations recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure; and (2) the inclusion of Hamas or any other terrorist group on the Department of State's list of foreign terrorist organizations in the Palestinian Authority's (PA) government will inevitably raise serious U.S. questions about the commitment of the PA and its leadership to peace with Israel, and will potentially undermine U.S. ability to have a constructive relationship with, or provide further assistance to, the PA.

Calls on President Abbas, before the election, to declare openly his intention to dismantle terrorist organizations.

States that: (1) progress in the peace process requires sustained Palestinian effort to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure; and (2) delay in confronting that principal obligation only emboldens the opponents of peace and threatens its realization.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 575 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 575

   Providing that Hamas and other terrorist organizations should not 
  participate in elections held by the Palestinian Authority, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2005

 Mr. Cantor (for himself, Mr. Menendez, Ms. Ros-Lehtinen, Ms. Berkley, 
     Mr. McCaul of Texas, and Mr. Wexler) submitted the following 
   resolution; which was referred to the Committee on International 
                               Relations

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Providing that Hamas and other terrorist organizations should not 
  participate in elections held by the Palestinian Authority, and for 
                            other purposes.

Whereas the foundation for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process was Palestinian 
        recognition of Israel's right to exist and a solemn obligation to end 
        terrorism and violence;
Whereas the removal of all Israeli presence in Gaza signifies an end to Israeli 
        responsibility there and a shift in security responsibility of Gaza to 
        the Palestinian Authority;
Whereas Israel's evacuation of Gaza affords the Palestinian Authority, now the 
        responsible governing authority in Gaza, the opportunity to demonstrate 
        its ability to govern, to establish the rule of law, to end corruption, 
        and thereby to demonstrate that it is a partner for peace;
Whereas Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly called for 
        the establishment of ``One Authority, One Law, and One Gun'';
Whereas since the withdrawal of Israeli military forces, the Palestinian 
        Authority has taken few steps to establish rule of law in Gaza;
Whereas Hamas, Islamic Jihad, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, and other terrorist 
        organizations have vowed to continue terrorism against Israeli 
        civilians, seek the destruction of the State of Israel, and employ 
        violence and terror in fulfillment of that aim;
 Whereas the inclusion of Hamas, or any other terrorist group on the State 
        Department list of foreign terrorist organizations, into the Palestinian 
        structure could be construed as an implicit endorsement of their anti-
        American and anti-Israeli terrorist ideology;
Whereas the first provision of the Road Map to Middle East Peace calls for the 
        Palestinians to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure;
Whereas these terrorist organizations, including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, 
        operate virtually without interference from the Palestinian Authority;
Whereas Hamas has announced its intention to run in Palestinian legislative 
        elections scheduled for January 2006;
Whereas Abbas has indicated his willingness to see Hamas participate in the 
        elections without first calling for it to disband its militia or for it 
        to renounce its goal of destroying the State of Israel;
Whereas the United States has clearly stated that armed militias attached to 
        political parties are incompatible with democratic societies;
Whereas President Bush has stated that Hamas ``seeks to end dissent in every 
        form, to control every aspect of life . . . the terrorists are preparing 
        a future of oppression and misery'';
Whereas the forces of freedom must continue to keep an untiring vigil against 
        the enemies of rising democracies; and
Whereas the United States has a longstanding policy of not dealing or 
        negotiating with terrorists: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) reaffirms its commitment to the safety and security of 
        the democratic State of Israel;
            (2) asserts that terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, 
        should not be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections 
        until such organizations recognize Israel's right to exist as a 
        Jewish state, cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and 
        permanently disarm and dismantle their terrorist 
        infrastructure;
            (3) calls on the Palestinian Authority President Abbas 
        before the election to declare openly his intention to take 
        action to dismantle the terrorist organizations;
            (4) asserts that the inclusion of Hamas, or any other 
        terrorist group on the State Department list of foreign 
        terrorist organizations, into the Palestinian governing 
        structure will inevitably raise serious policy considerations 
        for the United States, potentially undermining the continued 
        ability of the United States to provide financial assistance 
        and conduct normal relations with the Palestinian Authority; 
        and
            (5) states its strong belief, as underlined in every recent 
        Israeli/Palestinian peace agreement, that progress in the peace 
        process requires sustained Palestinian effort to dismantle the 
        terrorist infrastructure, and that delay in confronting that 
        principal obligation only emboldens the opponents of peace and 
        threatens its realization.
                                 <all>