Sec. 4. Statement of policy
350 words·~2 min read·
/bill/117/hr/5344/ih/section-4A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the policy of the United States— that only the outcome of a two-state solution can both ensure the state of Israel’s survival as a democratic state and a national home for the Jewish people and fulfill the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for a state of their own; to discourage steps by either party to the conflict that would put a peaceful end to the conflict further out of reach; that the establishment of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories is inconsistent with international law; that settlement expansion, demolitions of Palestinian homes, revocations of residency permits, and forced evictions of Palestinian civilians by Israel impede the establishment of a Palestinian state and violate the human rights of the Palestinian people; to continue to implement fully the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Israel signed in 2016 and to help Israel address the myriad challenges it faces, including terrorism, and threats posed by actors in the region, such as Iran; that the use of United States funding provided through the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding by the Government of Israel for activities that put a two-state solution further out of reach, including those that expand settlements, would be detrimental to Israel’s security and inconsistent with section 2754 of title 22, United States Code, under which Defense articles and defense services shall be sold or leased by the United States Government under this chapter to friendly countries solely for internal security, for legitimate self-defense and other limited purposes; to support programming that bolsters Palestinian civil society organizations and Palestinian government reforms, with the goal of fostering a Palestinian government that is democratic and enjoys credibility among the Palestinian people; to oppose restrictions on civil liberties in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the arrest of activists, journalists, and peaceful protesters, and to support an end to the torture or abuse of individuals in detention; and that a Palestinian government that respects civil and human rights and enjoys legitimacy among the Palestinian people is both necessary in its own right and important for productive negotiations on a two-state solution.