Israel Sovereignty and Security Recognition Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the United States should recognize Israel's sovereignty and legal right to its lands, including the Golan Heights and Jerusalem as Israel's capital; and (2) the Secretary of State should transfer the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv, Israel, to Jerusalem, Israel, and either repurpose or sell the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv.
Amends the Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 to eliminate the President's authority to waive certain funding limitations for Department of State acquisition and maintenance of buildings abroad until the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has officially opened.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3629 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3629
To affirm United States recognition of Israel's sovereignty, security,
and legal right to its lands, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
December 2, 2013
Mr. Franks of Arizona (for himself, Mr. Gene Green of Texas, Mr.
Lamborn, Mr. McIntyre, and Mr. Duncan of South Carolina) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To affirm United States recognition of Israel's sovereignty, security,
and legal right to its lands, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Israel Sovereignty and Security
Recognition Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) For more than 3,000 years, the Jewish People have
maintained a continuous connection and presence in the Land of
Israel and their eternal and indivisible capital city of
Jerusalem.
(2) In 1920, the legal title of the Jewish People to their
homeland, including the present lands of the State of Israel,
was affirmed and recognized under modern international law in
the San Remo Resolution, and has not been subsequently
abrogated by any binding legal instrumentality.
(3) In 1922, the aforementioned act of international law
was acknowledged by both chambers of the United States Congress
via a joint resolution and signed by President Warren G.
Harding.
(4) In 1945, Article 80 of the United Nations charter
recognized the continued validity of the rights granted to
states or peoples which already existed under international
instruments, including those of the Jewish People and their
homeland.
(5) On May 14, 1948, the Jewish national homeland declared
its renewed independence and self-governance as the modern
State of Israel, with the United States being the first country
to offer recognition of Israel's statehood.
(6) From 1948 to 1967, Syria controlled the Golan Heights
and used it as a military stronghold from which its troops
routinely attacked Israeli civilians.
(7) In 1967, the Golan Heights was restored to Israel after
Israel was attacked by Syria during the conflict known as the
Six Day War. Since then Israel has guaranteed the peace and
safety of all who reside there.
(8) The Golan Heights contains more than one-third of
Israel's water resources, and are vital and strategically
indispensable to the security, well-being, and continued
existence of the State of Israel, allowing Israel to detect and
defend from infiltration, attacks, and hostilities that have
historically originated and currently emanate from Syria.
(9) From 1948 to 1967, Jerusalem was a divided city where
persons of all faiths were precluded from freely worshiping or
visiting their respective holy sites in the area controlled by
Jordan.
(10) In 1967, the city of Jerusalem was reunited after
Israel was attacked by Jordan during the conflict known as the
Six Day War. Since then Israel has guaranteed freedom of
religion and full access to holy sites for people of all
faiths.
(11) Israel's government and civil institutions, including
the Knesset, the Bank of Israel, the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Prime Minister's and President's offices, and the
Supreme Court, are all based in Jerusalem.
(12) In 1990, Congress unanimously adopted Senate
Concurrent Resolution 106, which declares that Congress
``strongly believes that Jerusalem must remain an undivided
city in which the rights of every ethnic religious group are
protected''.
(13) In 1995, Congress overwhelmingly approved the
Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45), requiring
the establishment of the United States Embassy in Jerusalem by
not later than May 31, 1999.
(14) The United States Government maintains its embassy in
the functioning capital of every country except in the State of
Israel.
(15) The United States Government owns property in Tel
Aviv, where its embassy is presently located, that was acquired
at a cost of $1.00 in 1957.
(16) The United States Government maintains five Government
locations in Jerusalem, totaling more than 40,000 square feet
of building space and 14 acres of land.
(17) The United States Government's consular building
located at 14 David Flusser Street in Jerusalem is an ideal
location for the United States Embassy to Israel. The
Department of State completed construction of the facility in
2010, and the six-acre site is under lease for 75 years.
(18) Recognizing Israel's sovereignty, security, and legal
right to Jerusalem and the Golan Heights is consistent with the
will of the overwhelming majority of Americans, and in this
action the United States will send a much-needed signal of
support for Israel, its security, and its rights under
international law.
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the United States should recognize Israel's
sovereignty, security, and legal right to its lands, including
the Golan Heights and the city of Jerusalem as the indivisible
and eternal capital of the State of Israel;
(2) transferring the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to
Jerusalem will send a much-needed signal of United States
support for Israel, its security, and its rights under
international law; and
(3) the Secretary of State should--
(A) without delay, transfer the United States
Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, to 14 David Flusser
Street, Jerusalem, Israel; and
(B) take such actions as are necessary to either
repurpose or sell at an appropriate market rate the
United States Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, and, if the
Embassy is sold, deposit in the Asset Management
Account of the Department of State the proceeds from
such sale.
SEC. 4. AMENDMENT TO THE JERUSALEM EMBASSY ACT OF 1995.
(a) Repeal.--Subject to subsection (b), section 7 of the Jerusalem
Embassy Act of 1995 (Public Law 104-45) is repealed.
(b) Effective Date.--The repeal specified in subsection (a) shall
take effect on the date that is 30 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Middle East and North Africa.
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