House Resolution Commends Palestinians On Presidential Election
(February 2, 2005)
In February 2005, the House of Representatives approved H.Res. 56 applauding
the January 9, 2005, election of Mahmoud Abbas as the
second President of the Palestinian
Authority. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Ron Paul, was approved by a vote of 415-1.
H. Res. 56
Whereas on January 9, 2005, the Palestinian people
elected Mahmoud Abbas as the second President of the Palestinian Authority;
Whereas this election has been hailed as free and fair and is an important
and noteworthy step in advancing democracy in the Arab world;
Whereas Israel should be commended for facilitating the Palestinian
election proceedings;
Whereas the United States is hopeful that a peaceful resolution of
the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can be achieved;
Whereas the United States is strongly committed to the security of
Israel and its well-being as a Jewish state; and
Whereas on June 24, 2002, President George W. Bush expressed his vision
of two states living side by side in peace and security and that vision
can only be fully realized when terrorism is defeated, so that a new
state may be created based on the rule of law and respect for human
rights: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) commends the Palestinian people for conducting a free and fair
presidential election on January 9, 2005;
(2) congratulates the new Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas;
(3) urges the new Palestinian leadership to continue to advance democratic
ideals by reforming the Palestinian political structure, advancing human
rights, and ending corruption;
(4) strongly condemns terrorism and urges President Mahmoud Abbas,
who has previously disavowed terrorism, to immediately take steps to
dismantle the Palestinian terrorist infrastructure, confiscate unauthorized
weapons, arrest and bring terrorists to justice, consolidate and control
the many Palestinian security organizations, and end the incitement
to violence and hatred in the Palestinian media, educational institutions,
mosques, and other institutions;
(5) urges Arab states to take active steps to encourage and assist
the Palestinian Authority in bringing an end to terrorism and an end
to anti-Israel incitement in their own media; and
(6) encourages all interested parties to take advantage
of this historic opportunity to remove obstacles to achieving a lasting
peace in the Middle East.
Sources: Library of Congress |