Sec. 401 Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
In 1989, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) launched an effort to evade direct negotiations for peace with the State of Israel by instead pursuing Palestinian membership in international organizations, which could imply de facto recognition of a Palestinian state by the United Nations.
The Executive Branch, with significant support from Members of Congress, successfully stopped the PLO’s effort by credibly threatening, as noted in a May 1, 1989, statement by then-Secretary of State James A. Baker, “that the United States [would] make no further contributions, voluntary or assessed, to any international organization which makes any change in the P.L.O.’s present status as an observer organization.”.
The United States success in this case demonstrates that withholding contributions and placing conditions on their payment can result in real reforms, stop counterproductive developments, and advance United States interests at the United Nations.
The Palestinian leadership has recently resumed its effort to evade direct negotiations for peace with the State of Israel by seeking recognition of a Palestinian state from foreign governments and in international forums.
Efforts to bypass negotiations and to unilaterally declare a Palestinian state, or to appeal to the United Nations or other international forums or to foreign governments for recognition of a Palestinian state or membership or other upgraded status for the Palestinian observer mission at those forums, would violate the underlying principles of the Oslo Accords, the Road Map, and other relevant Middle East peace process efforts.
On December 15, 2010, the House of Representatives passed House Resolution 1765, in which, inter alia, the House of Representatives:
“reaffirms its strong opposition to any attempt to establish or seek recognition of a Palestinian state outside of an agreement negotiated between Israel and the Palestinians”;
“supports the Administration’s opposition to a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state”; and
“calls upon the Administration to … lead a diplomatic effort to persuade other nations to oppose a unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state and to oppose recognition of a Palestinian state by other nations, within the United Nations, and in other international forums prior to achievement of a final agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”.
Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, United States Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated on July 26, 2011, “Let there be no doubt: symbolic actions to isolate Israel at the United Nations in September will not create an independent Palestinian state … The United States will not support unilateral campaigns at the United Nations in September or any other time.”.
On September 16, 2011, the Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications stated that “We would veto actions through the Security Council and oppose action through the Security Council associated with a unilateral declaration of [Palestinian] statehood.”.