Jan 05 2017

Graham Sponsors Senate Resolution Condemning Anti-Israel Resolution Passed By The United Nations

WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) sponsored a Senate resolution objecting to passage of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which rebuked close American ally Israel and deemed all Israeli settlements as ‘flagrant violations of international law.’

“I will do everything in my power to leave no doubt about where America stands when it comes to the peace process and where we stand with the only true democracy in the Middle East, Israel,” said Graham. “The Middle East is on fire and Israel is surrounded by threats. Regardless of the terrorist attacks they suffer, or the number of rockets fired their way, Israel is always the bad guy in the eyes of the United Nations.”

The resolution:

  • Calls for United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to be repealed or fundamentally altered so that it is no longer one-sided and allows all final status issues toward a two-state solution to be resolved through direct bilateral negotiations between the parties;
  • Rejects efforts by outside bodies, including the United Nations Security Council, to impose solutions from the outside that set back the cause of peace;
  • Demands that the United States ensure that no action is taken at the Paris Conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict scheduled for January 15, 2017, that imposes an agreement or parameters on the parties;
  • Notes that granting membership and statehood standing to the Palestinians at the United Nations, its specialized agencies, and other international institutions outside of the context of a bilateral peace agreement with Israel would cause severe harm to the peace process, and would likely trigger the implementation of penalties under sections 7036 and 7041(j) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 (division K of Public Law 114–113);
  • Rejects any efforts by the United Nations, United Nations agencies, United Nations member states, and other international organizations to use United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to further isolate Israel through economic or other boycotts or any other measures, and urges the United States Government to take action where needed to counter any attempts to use United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 to further isolate Israel;
  • Urges the current presidential administration and all future presidential administrations to uphold the practice of vetoing all United Nations Security Council resolutions that seek to insert the Council into the peace process, recognize unilateral Palestinian actions including declaration of a Palestinian state, or dictate terms and a timeline for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict;
  • Reaffirms that it is the policy of the United States to continue to seek a sustainable, just, and secure two-state solution to resolve the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

“The United Nations will regret their vote and I hope the Obama Administration will realize the massive mistake they made on their way out of the door,” said Graham. “By not standing with our close ally Israel, the Obama Administration has empowered evil and been a very poor friend to democracy.”

The bipartisan resolution was introduced by Senators Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Ben Cardin (D-Maryland).

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