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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, Hamas was founded with the stated goal of | ||||||
| 3 | destroying the State of Israel; and
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| 4 | WHEREAS, Hamas has been designated by the United States | ||||||
| 5 | Secretary of State as a Foreign Terrorist Organization; and
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Hamas refuses to recognize Israel's right to | ||||||
| 7 | exist, to renounce violence, and to accept previous agreements | ||||||
| 8 | between Israel and the Palestinians; and | ||||||
| 9 | WHEREAS, Hamas has launched thousands of rockets, missile | ||||||
| 10 | shells, and mortar shells since Israel dismantled settlements | ||||||
| 11 | and withdrew from Gaza in 2005; and | ||||||
| 12 | WHEREAS, Terrorists in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip | ||||||
| 13 | have, over a ten-day period as of May 19, 2021, fired thousands | ||||||
| 14 | of rockets, missile shells, and mortar shells into Israel; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, As of May 19, 2021, Hamas was firing these | ||||||
| 16 | weapons at a rate of more than 400 explosives per 24 hours, | ||||||
| 17 | aimed at Israeli civilians; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, There are many public and private connections | ||||||
| 19 | between the State of Illinois and the State of Israel, and | ||||||
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| 1 | there is a desire to deepen and expand mutual opportunities; | ||||||
| 2 | and
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| 3 | WHEREAS, Israel, a fellow democracy, has an inherent right | ||||||
| 4 | to self-defense in the face of terrorist attacks; it is the | ||||||
| 5 | responsibility of all Americans who love freedom to recognize | ||||||
| 6 | this right to self-defense; therefore, be it
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| 7 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 8 | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
| 9 | we express our unwavering commitment to the security of the | ||||||
| 10 | State of Israel as a Jewish and democratic state with secure | ||||||
| 11 | borders and recognize and strongly support its inherent right | ||||||
| 12 | to act in self-defense to protect its citizens against acts of | ||||||
| 13 | terrorism; and be it further | ||||||
| 14 | RESOLVED, That we state our unequivocal belief that Hamas | ||||||
| 15 | must end Gaza-linked attacks against Israel, must recognize | ||||||
| 16 | Israel's right to exist, must renounce violence, and must | ||||||
| 17 | agree to accept previous agreements between Israel and the | ||||||
| 18 | Palestinians; and be it further
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| 19 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 20 | delivered to President Joe Biden, U.S. Secretary of State | ||||||
| 21 | Antony Blinken, Ambassador to the State of Israel Gilad Erdan, | ||||||
| 22 | and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.
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