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CONTACT: Jessica Rosenblum, [email protected], 202.448.1600
WASHINGTON– A Congressional resolution, backed by 64 Members of Congress, provides strong support for the Obama administration to put forward a vision for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict before he leaves office. The resolution comes amid increased speculation about what steps the President could take in the next few months to establish his legacy on the issue.
Led by Reps. John Yarmuth (D-KY) and David Price (D-NC), the resolution urges the US government to “[help] provide a political horizon for ending the conflict by articulating a non-binding vision of what a comprehensive final status agreement might entail that could help foster and guide revived negotiations between the parties.”
“This is an important demonstration that the President has considerable support from lawmakers in his party for laying down a clear marker of US policy on what a resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict should look like,” said Dylan Williams, Vice President of Government Affairs at J Street. “By putting forward the US vision for a comprehensive two-state agreement, the President should cement the progress that his administration has made and provide a strong basis for his successor to build on.”
The resolution has been co-sponsored by over one-third of the House Democratic Caucus, including eight committee Ranking Members, both Co-Chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and all four Members of Congress who served on the Democratic Party’s platform drafting committee.
The legislation also encourages the US government to “firmly articulat[e] 49 years of consistent, bipartisan United States opposition to settlement expansion.” In recent weeks, the administration has strongly reiterated that opposition in responses to a spate of new settlement announcements by the Israeli government.