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Congress & the Middle East: Middle East Peace Facilitation Act of 1993

(October 15, 1993)

In October 2013, the House and Senate passed S.1487 - the Middle East Peace Facilitation Act of 1993 - granting the President the authority to suspend specified provisions of law which prohibit foreign and United Nations assistance to the Palestine Liberation Organization upon certification that such a waiver is in the national interest. President Clinton signed the bill into law on October 28, 1993 (Public Law No.103-125).

S.1487

An Act

Entitled the ‘Middle East Peace Facilitation Act of 1993’.

    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 ‘Middle East Peace Facilitation Act of 1993’.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    The Congress finds that--
      (1) the Palestine Liberation Organization has recognized the State of Israel’s right to exist in peace and security; accepted United Nations Security Council resolutions 242 and 338; committed itself to the peace process and peaceful coexistence with Israel, free from violence and all other acts which endanger peace and stability; and assumed responsibility over all Palestine Liberation Organization elements and personnel in order to assure their compliance, prevent violations, and discipline violators;
      (2) Israel has recognized the Palestine Liberation Organization as the representative of the Palestinian people;
      (3) Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed a Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements on September 13, 1993, at the White House;
      (4) the United States has resumed a bilateral dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization; and
      (5) in order to implement the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements and facilitate the Middle East peace process, the President has requested flexibility to suspend certain provisions of law pertaining to the Palestine Liberation Organization.

SEC. 3. AUTHORITY TO SUSPEND CERTAIN PROVISIONS.

    (a) IN GENERAL- Subject to subsection (b), the President may suspend any provision of law specified in subsection (d). Any such suspension shall cease to be effective on January 1, 1994, or such earlier date as the President may specify.
    (b) CONDITIONS-
      (1) CONSULTATION- Before exercising the authority provided in subsection (a), the President shall consult with the relevant congressional committees.
      (2) PRESIDENTIAL CERTIFICATION- The President may exercise the authority provided in subsection (a) only if the President certifies to the relevant congressional committees that--
        (A) it is in the national interest of the United States to exercise such authority; and
        (B) the Palestine Liberation Organization continues to abide by all the commitments described in paragraph (4).
      (3) REQUIREMENT FOR CONTINUING PLO COMPLIANCE- Any suspension under subsection (a) of a provision of law specified in subsection (d) shall cease to be effective if the President certifies to the relevant congressional committees that the Palestine Liberation Organization has not continued to abide by all the commitments described in paragraph (4).
      (4) PLO COMMITMENTS DESCRIBED- The commitments referred to in paragraphs (2) and (3) are the commitments made by the Palestine Liberation Organization--
        (A) in its letter of September 9, 1993, to the Prime Minister of Israel;
        (B) in its letter of September 9, 1993, to the Foreign Minister of Norway; and
        (C) in, and resulting from the implementation of, the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements signed on September 13, 1993.
    (c) EXPECTATION OF CONGRESS REGARDING ANY EXTENSION OF PRESIDENTIAL AUTHORITY- The Congress expects that any extension of the authority provided to the President in subsection (a) will be conditional on the Palestine Liberation Organization--
      (1) renouncing the Arab League boycott of Israel;
      (2) urging the nations of the Arab League to end the Arab League boycott of Israel; and
      (3) cooperating with efforts undertaken by the President of the United States to end the Arab League boycott of Israel.
    (d) PROVISIONS THAT MAY BE SUSPENDED- The provisions that may be suspended under the authority of subsection (a) are the following:
      (1) Section 307 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2227) as it applies with respect to the Palestine Liberation Organization or entities associated with it.
      (2) Section 114 of the Department of State Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1984 and 1985 (22 U.S.C. 287e note) as it applies with respect to the Palestine Liberation Organization or entities associated with it.
      (3) Section 1003 of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Years 1988 and 1989 (22 U.S.C. 5202).
      (4) Section 37 of the Bretton Woods Agreement Act (22 U.S.C. 286w) as it applies to the granting to the Palestine Liberation Organization of observer status or other official status at any meeting sponsored by or associated with the International Monetary Fund. As used in this paragraph, the term ‘other official status’ does not include membership in the International Monetary Fund.
    (e) RELATION TO OTHER AUTHORITIES- This section supersedes section 578 of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 1994 (Public Law 103-87).
    (f) RELEVANT CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES DEFINED- As used in this section, the term ‘relevant congressional committees’ means--
      (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and
      (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.


Sources: Library of Congress