Congress: 115 · 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 SRES 291.
Sponsor: Cruz, Ted (R-Texas)
Affirms the Jewish people's historical connection to Jerusalem. Recognizes that the archaeological discoveries from the City of David, the site of ancient Jerusalem, present evidence of the millennia-old connection of Jerusalem to the Jewish people and, by extension, to Christianity. Commends the government of Israel for protecting the freedoms of all faiths in Jerusalem and ensuring their access to holy sites. Condemns efforts by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to delegitimize Israel through attempts to rewrite and deny Jerusalem's history. Encourages the United States to continue working with allies to prevent UNESCO from passing biased anti-Israel resolutions.
This resolution affirms the Jewish people's historical connection to Jerusalem based on archaeological evidence, commends Israel for protecting religious access to holy sites, and condemns UNESCO for what it characterizes as attempts to rewrite Jerusalem's history and delegitimize Israel. It encourages the U.S. to work with allies to block future UNESCO resolutions it deems anti-Israel.
This non-binding resolution signals Senate support for Israel's historical claims to Jerusalem and frames UNESCO advocacy on Palestinian heritage sites as delegitimization rather than competing historical narratives. It has no direct policy effect but establishes a chamber position on a contested political issue ahead of potential diplomatic votes at international bodies.