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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION | ||||||
| 2 | WHEREAS, Hamas was founded with the stated goal of | ||||||
| 3 | destroying the State of Israel and has been designated by the | ||||||
| 4 | United States as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; and | ||||||
| 5 | WHEREAS, The Hamas terrorist organization launched a | ||||||
| 6 | brutal, highly-organized, and unprecedented attack upon Israel | ||||||
| 7 | and its citizens in the early morning hours of October 7, 2023; | ||||||
| 8 | and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, In its attack, Hamas killed hundreds of innocent | ||||||
| 10 | civilians and took hundreds of Israeli children, women, | ||||||
| 11 | elderly, and infirm civilians hostage; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, In its attack, Hamas fired thousands of rockets | ||||||
| 13 | against Israeli population centers in an attempt to kill | ||||||
| 14 | untold numbers of innocent civilians; and | ||||||
| 15 | WHEREAS, The level of logistical sophistication | ||||||
| 16 | demonstrated in this Hamas terrorism operation indicates its | ||||||
| 17 | receipt of support and funding from foreign state sponsors of | ||||||
| 18 | terror, namely Iran; and | ||||||
| 19 | WHEREAS, The timing of this Hamas terrorism operation to | ||||||
| 20 | coincide with the observance of the Jewish Sabbath and | ||||||
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| 1 | celebration of the Sukkoth holiday demonstrates the intent to | ||||||
| 2 | maximize civilian casualties; and | ||||||
| 3 | WHEREAS, Hamas continues to brazenly locate elements of | ||||||
| 4 | its terrorist infrastructure in civilian population centers, | ||||||
| 5 | using civilians as human shields; therefore, be it | ||||||
| 6 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 7 | HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 8 | we strongly condemn the attacks on the State of Israel and its | ||||||
| 9 | people and strongly implore the government of Israel to bring | ||||||
| 10 | the terrorist organization, Hamas, to an end; and be it | ||||||
| 11 | further | ||||||
| 12 | RESOLVED, That we reaffirm our support and unwavering | ||||||
| 13 | commitment to the welfare, security, and survival of the State | ||||||
| 14 | of Israel; and be it further | ||||||
| 15 | RESOLVED, That we recognize Israel's right to act | ||||||
| 16 | decisively and unilaterally in self-defense to protect its | ||||||
| 17 | citizens; and be it further | ||||||
| 18 | RESOLVED, That we express our support for Israel's right | ||||||
| 19 | to pursue without interference or condemnation the elimination | ||||||
| 20 | of Hamas until Hamas is permanently neutralized and public | ||||||
| 21 | safety is assured; and be it further | ||||||
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| 1 | RESOLVED, That we convey our most heartfelt condolences to | ||||||
| 2 | all Israeli victims as well as their families and communities; | ||||||
| 3 | and be it further | ||||||
| 4 | RESOLVED, That we call upon Illinois law enforcement to | ||||||
| 5 | remain vigilant in protecting Israeli Americans, Jewish | ||||||
| 6 | Americans, and all supporters of Israel from acts of crime and | ||||||
| 7 | unlawful discrimination that tend to manifest at such times; | ||||||
| 8 | and be it further | ||||||
| 9 | RESOLVED, That we encourage all other American states to | ||||||
| 10 | likewise condemn Hamas as well as any official body that | ||||||
| 11 | refuses to recognize Israel's right to act decisively in | ||||||
| 12 | self-defense to protect its citizens; and be it further | ||||||
| 13 | RESOLVED, That we call upon the United States to provide | ||||||
| 14 | assistance to support Israel in its defense against Hamas and | ||||||
| 15 | all other terrorist organizations that threaten its | ||||||
| 16 | sovereignty; and be it further | ||||||
| 17 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 18 | delivered to all Illinois Constitutional Officers, the Speaker | ||||||
| 19 | and Minority Leader of the Illinois House of Representatives, | ||||||
| 20 | the President and Minority Leader of the Illinois Senate, and | ||||||
| 21 | all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation. | ||||||