Congress: 108 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: pro-Israel
Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).
Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for HR 3814.
Sponsor: Sessions, Pete (R-Texas)
Israeli-Palestinian Peace Enhancement Act of 2004 - Calls for: (1) any new Palestinian authority to take security-related steps to implement a road map to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; and (2) the U.S. Administration to work toward the two states living in peace within secure and internationally recognized boundaries. Expresses the sense of Congress that a Palestinian State should not be recognized until the President makes specified determinations, including that new leadership of a Palestinian governing entity, not compromised by terrorism, has been elected and has taken measures to counter terrorism and terrorist financing in the West Bank and Gaza. Amends the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to allow U.S. assistance to be provided to a Palestinian state only: (1) during the effective period of a presidential certification that a Palestinian state exists that has been recognized by the United States and Israel and admitted to the United Nations, that a binding international peace agreement exists between Israel and the Palestinian state, and that the new Palestinian Government has been democratically elected, has renounced violence against Israel, has dismantled any group that conducts terrorism against Israel, has instituted clearly agreed upon limits on its military, and has no agreements that threaten Israel's security; and (2) if the President has provided advance notice to Congress. Authorizes the President to provide assistance to a Palestinian State to improve the economy and living conditions of the Palestinians. Directs the Secretary of State to coordinate a program of international economic assistance to the Palestinians.
This resolution calls on the Palestinian Authority to take security steps toward peace and expresses Congress's view that the U.S. should not recognize a Palestinian state until its leadership is democratically elected, renounces violence, dismantles armed groups, and agrees to limits on its military. It amends law to allow U.S. aid to a Palestinian state only if the President certifies that a peace agreement exists with Israel, the Palestinian government is democratic and committed to nonviolence, and Congress is notified in advance.
This sets congressional conditions on Palestinian statehood recognition and U.S. aid—tying both to security benchmarks and Israeli agreement. It reflects the 2004 framing of the conflict and establishes a legal framework that required presidential certifications on Palestinian governance before aid could flow.