HRES 557 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 557
Expressing support for the State of Israel’s inalienable right to defend itself in the face of an imminent nuclear or military threat from Iran, terrorist organizations, and the countries that harbor them.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 18, 2009
Mr. SESSIONS submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the State of Israel’s inalienable right to defend itself in the face of an imminent nuclear or military threat from Iran, terrorist organizations, and the countries that harbor them.
Whereas, on May 14, 1948, the State of Israel declared its independence and is a sovereign democratic nation;
Whereas the United States was one of the first nations to recognize Israel’s independence;
Whereas the United States and Israel share the common goal of peace in the Middle East;
Whereas Israel is one of the United States strongest allies;
Whereas Israel has continuously worked toward a peaceful coexistence with its neighbors;
Whereas, on April 7, 2009, Vice President Joe Biden said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be ‘ill advised’ to strike Iran’s nuclear facilities;
Whereas Hamas and Hezbollah are listed as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the United States Department of State;
Whereas since 2001, Hamas, which pledges destruction of Israel, has fired over 7,000 rockets and mortars at civilians from the Gaza Strip into Israeli towns;
Whereas in 2006, the terrorist organization Hezbollah, which pledges allegiance to Iran, launched an attack on Israel from Lebanon;
Whereas during this 2006 attack, Hezbollah fired over 3,970 katyusha rockets into civilian centers in Northern Israel;
Whereas Iran continues to support terrorism through its proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, by providing the terrorist organizations with financial and military assistance;
Whereas Iran continues to support Hezbollah, despite United Nations Security Council Resolution 1559 that calls for the ‘disbanding and disarmament of all Lebanese and non-Lebanese militia’;
Whereas, on October 26, 2005, at a conference in Tehran called ‘World Without Zionism’, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad stated ‘They say how could we have a world without America and Zionism? But you know well that this slogan and goal can be achieved and can definitely be realized’;
Whereas the New York Times reported that during his October 26, 2005, speech, President Ahmadinejad called for ‘this occupying regime [Israel] to be wiped off the map’;
Whereas, on August 3, 2006, in a speech during an emergency meeting of Muslim leaders, President Ahmadinejad stated that the Middle East would be better off ‘without the existence of the Zionist regime’, called Israel an ‘illegitimate regime’ with ‘no legal basis for its existence’, and accused the United States of using Israel as a proxy to control the region and its oil resources;
Whereas President Ahmadinejad continues to deny existence of the Jewish nation and stated on September 23, 2007, that ‘Israel is not a nation’;
Whereas, on March 3, 2008 at a conference in support of Hamas in Tehran, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called the State of Israel a ‘cancerous tumor’ and called for ‘resistance’ against the Jewish state;
Whereas, on February 3, 2009, Iran launched its first satellite into orbit, which has dual use capabilities that could be applied to missiles;
Whereas, on May 20, 2009, Iran successfully tested a surface-to-surface long range missile with an approximate range of 1,200 miles;
Whereas Iran continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons;
Whereas Iran has refused to provide the International Atomic Energy Agency with full transparency and access to its nuclear program; and
Whereas United Nations Security Council Resolution 1803 states that according the International Atomic Energy Agency, ‘Iran has not established full and sustained suspension of all enrichment related and reprocessing activities and heavy-water-related projects as set out in resolution 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) nor resumed its cooperation with the IAEA under the Additional Protocol, nor taken the other steps required by the IAEA Board of Governors, nor complied with the provisions of Security Council resolution 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) . . .’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses its unequivocal support for the State of Israel’s inalienable right to defend itself in the face of an imminent nuclear or military threat from Iran, terrorist organizations, and the countries that harbor them, notwithstanding some statements made by the Obama Administration;
(2) reaffirms the United States bond with Israel and pledges to continue to work with Prime Minister Netanyahu, the Israeli Government, and the people of Israel to ensure that the sovereign nation continues to receive critical economic and military assistance, including missile defense capabilities, needed to address the threat of Iran; and
(3) condemns the Government of Iran for its continued support of terrorism and its hateful rhetoric toward Israel.
U.S. Congress - Text of H.Res.557 as Introduced in House Expressing support for the State of Israel's inalienable right to defend itself in the ...
