Expressing vigorous support and unwavering commitment
to the welfare, security, and survival of the State of
Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure
borders, and recognizing and strongly supporting its
right to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against
acts of terrorism.
Whereas Hamas was founded with the stated goal of destroying the State of Israel;
Whereas Hamas has been designated by the Secretary of
State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization;
Whereas Hamas refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist,
renounce violence, and accept previous agreements between Israel and the Palestinians; 2
Whereas Hamas has launched thousands of rockets and missiles since Israel dismantled settlements and withdrew
from Gaza in 2005;
Whereas terrorists in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip have
fired approximately 900 rockets and missile shells into
Israel this year, an increase from roughly 675 attacks in
2011 and 350 in 2010;
Whereas Hamas has increased the range of its rockets, reportedly with support from Iran and others, putting additional large numbers of Israelis in danger of rocket attacks from Gaza;
Whereas, on November 14, 2012, President Barack Obama
condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and reiterated Israel’s right to self-defense; and
Whereas Israel, as a fellow democracy, has an inherent right
to self defense in the face of terrorist attacks: Now,
therefore, be it
1 Resolved, That the Senate—
2 (1) expresses unwavering commitment to the
3 security of the State of Israel as a Jewish and demo-
4 cratic state with secure borders, and recognizes and
5 strongly supports its inherent right to act in self-de-
6 fense to protect its citizens against acts of terrorism;
7 (2) reiterates that Hamas must end Gaza-
8 linked terrorist rocket and missile attacks against
9 Israel, recognize Israel’s right to exist, renounce vio-
10 lence, and agree to accept previous agreements be-
11 tween Israel and the Palestinians; 3
1 (3) urges the United Nations Security Council
2 to condemn the recent spike in Gaza-linked terrorist
3 missile attacks against Israel, which risk causing ci-
4 vilian casualties in both Israel and Gaza; and
5 (4) encourages the President to continue to
6 work diplomatically with the international commu-
7 nity to prevent Hamas and other Gaza-based ter-
8 rorist organizations from retaining or rebuilding the
9 capability to launch rockets and missiles against Israel
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