2009 -- H 5293

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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2009

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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N

EXPRESSING SOLIDARITY WITH ISRAEL IN ITS DEFENSE AGAINST TERRORISM IN

THE GAZA STRIP

     Introduced By: Representatives Fox, Pacheco, Mattiello, Carter, and JP O`Neill

     Date Introduced: February 04, 2009

     Referred To: House Judiciary

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     WHEREAS, The State of Israel is the greatest ally of the United States in the Middle

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East; and

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     WHEREAS, The Hamas terror organization charter calls for the destruction of Israel and

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rules out the possibility of compromise and peaceful negotiations; and

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     WHEREAS, Hamas has been designated by the United States as a Foreign Terrorist

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Organization and is largely supported and armed by Iran, which our government characterizes as

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the world's main state sponsor of terrorism; and

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     WHEREAS, Hamas has refused to comply with the Quartet's (the United States, the

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European Union, Russia, and the United Nations) requirements that Hamas recognize Israel's

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right to exist, renounce violence, and agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the

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Palestinians; and

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     WHEREAS, The State of Israel has suffered through years of rocket and missile fire from

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Hamas-controlled areas, even after Israel fully withdrew from the Gaza Strip in 2005 with over

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10,000 Hamas rockets intentionally targeted at medical centers, homes, and playgrounds from

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Sderot to Beer Sheva in Israel killing or wounding many Israelis, destroying property, and

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terrorizing innocent civilians; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel has demonstrated extraordinary restraint in the face of such

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aggression; and

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     WHEREAS, The fundamental obligation of the government of Israel is, like any other

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government, to protect its citizen, and act to provide security to its people; and

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     WHEREAS, Hamas locates elements of its terrorist infrastructure in civilian population

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centers, thus using innocent civilians as human shields; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel and its people wish no harm to the innocent civilian population of the

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Gaza Strip; and

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     WHEREAS, Innocent Israeli and Palestinian civilians have been tragically killed and

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wounded due to recent ongoing escalations of violence initiated by Palestinian terrorist

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organizations; and

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     WHEREAS, Palestinian terrorists of the Islamic Jihad and Hamas in the Gaza Strip have

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recently fired hundreds of rockets at civilian targets in southern Israel, ending a six month cease

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fire with Israel; and

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     WHEREAS, During the six month "state of calm," Israel allowed the entrance of some

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17,000 truckloads of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, while Palestinian terrorists launched

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538 rockets and mortars into Israel; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel has continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians

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and provide early warning of pending attacks to Palestinian civilians via text messages, phone

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calls, and leaflet drops; and

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     WHEREAS, Israel continues to pursue peace with all of its Arab neighbors; and

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     WHEREAS, The United States, in addition to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab countries,

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have attributed blame to Hamas for initiating the latest round of increased violence; and

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     WHEREAS, The Hamas government denies freedom of religion, press, assembly and

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equal rights to all of Gaza's residents and considers the United States its bitter enemy; and

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     WHEREAS, President Barack H. Obama, in his inaugural address denounced terrorists

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who induce "terror and the slaughtering of innocents"; and

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     WHEREAS, The President also denounced in his inaugural address those who "cling to

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power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent"; and

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     WHEREAS, The House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and Providence

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Plantations enacted Resolution 213 in 2008, recognizing and reaffirming the bonds of friendship

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and cooperation between the United States and Israel and a wish for a peaceful, prosperous and

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successful future for the Israeli people; now, therefore be it

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     RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island and

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Providence Plantations hereby stands in solidarity and supports the efforts of Israel as it takes the

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necessary steps to defend itself and provide security to protect its citizens in the face of Hamas

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hostility and rockets; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this House condemns Hamas for deliberately embedding its fighters,

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leaders, and weapons in private homes, schools, mosques, and hospitals, and otherwise using

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Palestinian civilians as human shields, while simultaneously targeting Israeli civilians; and be it

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further

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     RESOLVED, That this House remains hopeful that the current temporary cease fire will

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become permanent; and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That this House reiterates its strong support for a just and sustainable

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resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will ensure the welfare, security, and survival of

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the State of Israel as a democratic Jewish state with secure borders, and a viable, independent,

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and democratic Palestinian state living side-by-side in peace and security with the State of Israel;

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and be it further

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     RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to

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transmit duly certified copies of this resolution to U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon

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Whitehouse, and U.S. Representatives Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin, the Office of the

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Israeli Consul General for New England, the Office of the United States Secretary of State, and

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the Office of the Secretary General of the United Nations.

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