Contact: Madison Wiberg
Madison.Wiberg@mail.house.gov

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Mike Gallagher, along with his colleagues Congressmen Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Eliot Engel (D-NY), introduced a House resolution condemning the United Nations General Assembly’s vote criticizing the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.  The resolution also affirms President Trump’s recent proclamation that recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announces the relocation of the United States Embassy to Israel as soon as possible.

After introducing the resolution, Rep. Gallagher released the following statement: 

“For over twenty years, it has been U.S. law to recognize the self-evident reality that Jerusalem is, and always has been, the capital of Israel. This resolution makes clear that the United States stands proudly beside our ally and will not shy away from asserting our rights as a sovereign nation.”

The text of the resolution can be found below:

RESOLUTION

Objecting to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19, which criticizes the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel.

Whereas the United States has long opposed biased resolutions at the United Nations General Assembly, including United Nations General Assembly Resolution 3379, which infamously declared that “zionism is a form of racism and racial discrimination”;

Whereas the United Nations General Assembly continues to demonstrate bias against Israel, adopting twenty resolutions during the 71st session singling out Israel, more than any other country and more than all other countries combined;

Whereas Article 2 of the Charter of the United Nations states that the Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members;

Whereas each sovereign nation, under international law and custom, may designate its own capital and, as a sovereign nation the United States has the right to determine where to locate its embassies abroad;

Whereas the United States is the single largest contributor of financial support to the United Nations and its agencies, should reform the United Nations, and oppose resolutions that infringe on its sovereignty;

Whereas in 1995, the United States Congress overwhelmingly passed the Jerusalem Embassy Act and the President of the United States signed Public Law 104-45, which declares that it is the policy of the United States that “Jerusalem should be recognized as the capital of the State of Israel” and that the “United States Embassy in Israel should be established in Jerusalem no later than May 31, 1999”;

Whereas on December 6th, 2017, the President of the United States issued a proclamation that the United States recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of the State of Israel and that the United States Embassy to Israel will be relocated to Jerusalem as soon as practicable;

Whereas on December 18th, 2017, the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations issued a veto to the draft resolution S/2017/1060 in the United Nations Security Council which contained similar language to the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19;

Whereas in light of the veto cast on December 18th, 2017 by the United States in the United Nations Security Council, the United Nations General Assembly resumed the tenth Emergency Special Session to consider the resolution which criticizes the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and calls upon all countries to refrain from establishing diplomatic missions in Jerusalem;

Whereas United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19 is non-binding, does not carry the force of international law, and has no effect on the sovereign rights of the United States: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, that the House of Representatives—

(1)      affirms the President’s December 6, 2017 proclamation recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and announcing the relocation of the United States Embassy to Israel as soon as practicable;

(2)      opposes the United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19 on December 21, 2017, which criticizes the United States’ recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel;

(3)      calls for United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/19 to be repealed; and

(4)      reaffirms that a sustainable peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians will only result from direct, bilateral negotiations between the two parties, and cannot be imposed by international organizations such as the United Nations.

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