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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, Hamas was founded with the stated goal of
3destroying the State of Israel; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Hamas has been designated by the United States
5Secretary of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; and
 
6    WHEREAS, Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to
7exist, renounce violence, and accept previous agreements
8between Israel and the Palestinians; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets and
10missiles since Israel dismantled settlements and withdrew from
11Gaza in 2005; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Terrorists in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip
13have fired approximately 900 rockets and missile shells into
14Israel this year, an increase from roughly 675 attacks in 2011
15and 350 in 2010; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Hamas has increased the range of its rockets,
17reportedly with support from Iran and others; these rockets put
18additional numbers of Israelis in danger of rocket attacks from
19Gaza; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, There are many public and private connections
2between the State of Illinois and the State of Israel and a
3desire to deepen and expand mutual opportunities; and
 
4    WHEREAS, On November 14, 2012, President Barack Obama
5condemned the rocket fire from Gaza into Israel and reiterated
6Israel's right to self-defense; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Israel, a fellow democracy, has an inherent right
8to self defense in the face of terrorist attacks; therefore, be
9it
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL
11ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we express our
12unwavering commitment to the security of the State of Israel as
13a Jewish and democratic state with secure borders and recognize
14and strongly support its inherent right to act in self-defense
15to protect its citizens against acts of terrorism; and be it
16further
 
17    RESOLVED, That we state our unequivocal belief that Hamas
18must end Gaza-linked terrorist rocket and missile attacks
19against Israel, recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce
20violence, and agree to accept previous agreements between
21Israel and the Palestinians; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we urge the United Nations Security Council
2to condemn the recent spike in Gaza-linked terrorist missile
3attacks against Israel, which risk causing civilian casualties
4in both Israel and Gaza; and be it further
 
5    RESOLVED, That we encourage the President to continue to
6work diplomatically with the international community to
7prevent Hamas and other Gaza-based terrorist organizations
8from retaining or rebuilding the capability to launch rockets
9and missiles against Israel.