HR0913 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0913 LRB101 22358 LAW 73418 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, In 2016, Bahrain was the only Gulf Arab state to publicly mourn the passing of former Israeli President Shimon Peres; and

WHEREAS, In 2017, Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa called for an end to the Arab League boycott of Israel; and

WHEREAS, In 2018, Bahrain's then Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al Khalifa asserted Israel's right to defend itself and welcomed Israeli visitors to Bahrain in 2019; and

WHEREAS, In 2018, the Israeli national anthem was publicly played for the first time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during an international judo tournament in Abu Dhabi; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, announced the appointment of the first chief rabbi in the UAE; and

WHEREAS, In 2019, Israel was invited to attend the 2021 World Expo in the UAE; and

WHEREAS, On August 13, 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan announced an agreement to fully normalize relations between their countries, and Israel agreed to suspend their proposed annexation of parts of the West Bank; and

WHEREAS, On August 13, 2020, United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov declared his support for the agreement between the UAE and Israel, including the Israeli pledge to halt proposed annexations; Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, also welcomed the agreement; and

WHEREAS, On August 29, 2020, the UAE revoked their 1972 law which prohibited business relations between individuals in Israel and the UAE, including the exchange of goods; and

WHEREAS, On September 9, 2020, the Arab League declined to condemn the normalization of relations between Israel and the UAE by voting down a proposal to denounce the normalization deal; and

WHEREAS, On September 10, 2020, Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner announced the opening of airspace over Saudi Arabia to commercial flights between Israel and Bahrain after Saudi Arabia opened their airspace to flights between Israel and the UAE on September 2, 2020; and

WHEREAS, On September 11, 2020, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa announced the establishment of full diplomatic relations between their countries; and

WHEREAS, Bahrain and the UAE are the first Gulf Arab states to announce formal relations with Israel; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that the Illinois House of Representatives supports the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the State of Israel and both the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois House of Representatives calls on other Arab and Muslim countries to establish full relations with Israel with the goal of realizing peace and stability throughout the Middle East; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Illinois House of Representatives reaffirms its support for a negotiated solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.