The resolution also cites key recent statements by the Obama Administration regarding Middle East peace, including President Obama's January 22nd remarks upon announcing Sen. Mitchell's appointment that, "It will be the policy of my administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Israel and its Arab neighbors."  View the full text of the resolution below.

After being appointed as Special Mideast Envoy on January 22nd, Sen. Mitchell quickly headed to the Middle East for a whirlwind trip Jan. 26th-Feb. 3rd that included visits with Israeli and Palestinian leaders and a roundtable meeting in Jerusalem with humanitarian agencies working in Gaza.  He also made stops in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and France.  Click here to read a brief summary report on the trip, including links to key statements by Special Envoy Mitchell.
 
Mitchell is set to return to the region before the end of the month.  His challenging and complex mission, coming on the heels of the violence in Gaza and southern Israel, will require a diligence and commitment that deserves strong Congressional support. 
 
CMEP urges all House Representatives to co-sponsor H. Res. 130 and demonstrate strong Congressional support for robust U.S. efforts to achieve Israeli-Palestinian peace. 

The tasks ahead are formidable.  Mitchell must work to achieve a sustainable cease-fire and help create a climate throughout the Holy land that is conducive to negotiating a permanent peace.  Congressional support will be vital if the Obama Administration is going to achieve concrete results on the ground and meaningful progress toward a  two-state solution. 

For more information about this resolution and Churches for Middle East Peace, please contact CMEP's Legislative Director, Julie Schumacher Cohen at julie@cmep.org or 202-543-1222.

Text of House Resolution 130:

Expressing support for the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, and for other purposes.

Whereas, on January 9, 2009, the House of Representatives passed, by an overwhelming margin, a resolution that reaffirmed `its strong support for United States Government efforts to promote a just resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a serious and sustained peace process that leads to the creation of a viable and independent Palestinian state living in peace alongside a secure State of Israel.';

Whereas, on January 22, 2009, President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the appointment of former Senator George Mitchell as the United States Government's Special Envoy for Middle East Peace;

Whereas President Obama, upon announcing Senator Mitchell's appointment, stated that `It will be the policy of my administration to actively and aggressively seek a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians, as well as Israel and its Arab neighbors' that `. . . recognizes (Israel's) rightful place in the community of nations.';
Whereas President Obama, upon announcing this appointment, stated that Senator Mitchell `. . . will be fully empowered at the negotiating table, and he will sustain our focus on the goal of peace.';

Whereas President Obama stated that he `. . . was deeply concerned by the loss of Palestinian and Israeli life in recent days and by the substantial suffering and humanitarian needs in Gaza. Our hearts go out to Palestinian civilians who are in need of immediate food, clean water, and basic medical care, and who've faced suffocating poverty for far too long.';

Whereas Secretary of State Clinton stated that Special Envoy Mitchell `will lead our efforts to reinvigorate the process for achieving peace between Israel and its neighbors. He will help us to develop an integrated strategy that defends the security of Israel, works to bring an end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that will result in two states, living side by side in peace and security, and to achieve further agreements to promote peace and security between Israel and its Arab neighbors. Senator Mitchell will also work to support the objectives that the President and I believe are critical and pressing in Gaza, to develop a program for humanitarian aid and eventual reconstruction, working with the Palestinian Authority and Israel on behalf of those objectives.';

Whereas Senator Mitchell stated, upon his appointment, that `peace and stability in the Middle East are in our national interest.';

Whereas Senator Mitchell also stated that `Conflicts are created, conducted and sustained by human beings; they can be ended by human beings' and that `This effort must be determined, persevering and patient. It must be backed up by political capital, economic resources, and focused attention at the highest levels of our government. And it must be firmly rooted in a shared vision of a peaceful future by the people who live in the region. At the direction of the President and the Secretary of State, and in pursuit of the President's policies, I pledge my full effort in the search for peace and stability in the Middle East.';

Whereas Senator Mitchell brings significant credibility to this effort as an experienced diplomat and negotiator, having been credited with brokering Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace accord that led to a resolution of the `Troubles' in Northern Ireland and the termination of an 800-year old sectarian and national conflict; and
Whereas Senator Mitchell possesses appropriate expertise on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, having authored a well-received report on the causes of the second intifada in April 2001: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) congratulates Senator George Mitchell on his appointment as Special Envoy for Middle East Peace;

(2) commits to supporting President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Special Envoy Mitchell in their vigorous pursuit of a diplomatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian and Israeli-Arab conflicts based on the establishment of 2 states, the State of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security, and with recognized borders;

(3) reaffirms that peace between Israel and the Palestinians and Israel and the Arab world are essential national security interests of the United States; and

(4) expresses its appreciation to those engaged in support of Middle East peacemaking and the recent cessation of hostilities in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel, and calls on the international community to aggressively pursue efforts that facilitate a just and lasting resolution of these conflicts.

Special Envoy Sen. Mitchell's Trip to the Region: A Brief Summary

In key statements made during his Jan. 26-Feb. 3rd trip, Sen. Mitchell emphasized the importance of consolidating the cease-fire, including ending the weapons smuggling and re-opening the crossings based on the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access.  He also raised the urgent Gaza humanitarian needs.  In every location Mitchell stressed President Obama's commitment to achieving a lasting Israeli-Palestinian peace. 

With Israeli Prime Minister Olmert, Mitchell said the "United States is committed to Israel's security and to its right to defend itself against legitimate threats." In Ramallah, he stated President Obama's commitment to "a better future for all Palestinians, whose legitimate aspirations for an independent and viable state, shout be met."  At the UNRWA compound in Jerusalem, he announced that the President has directed the use of another "$20.3 million to provide emergency food and medical assistant to the wounded and displaced in Gaza."  Mitchell stressed that the tragic violence in Gaza and in southern Israel offers "a sobering reminder of the very serious and difficult challenges and unfortunately the setbacks that will come."  Press reports indicate that the Arab Peace Initiative and Iran's role in Palestinian affairs were discussed in meetings in Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Paris. 

Now that Mitchell has returned from what was billed as an initial "listening tour", he is set to go back to the region before the end of the month.  Political transition in Israel and strife among Palestinians, along with a fragile cease-fire and dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, create a complicated backdrop for Mitchell's peace mission.  Substantive progress will require serious and sustained engagement.  In a press conference with Secretary of State Clinton on February 3rd, Mitchell said, "the situation is obviously complex and difficult, and there are no easy or risk-free courses of action. But I'm convinced…that with patient, determined, and persevering diplomacy, we can help to make a difference and that we can assist those in the region achieve the peace and stability that people on all sides long for." 

Key Statements and Documents Related to Special Envoy Mitchell's Trip:

Remarks by Secretary Clinton and Special Envoy Mitchell After Their Meeting, Washington, DC, February 3, 2009

Mitchell Statement at UNRWA Compound, Jerusalem, January 30, 2009

United States Humanitarian Support to Palestinians, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC, January 30, 2009

Mitchell Statement at Palestinian Authority Presidential Compound, Ramallah, January 29, 2009

Mitchell Statement at King David Hotel, Jerusalem, January 28, 2009

Mitchell Statement following meeting with President Mubarak, January 28, 2009

Mitchell Report 2001