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[Page S2390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS
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SENATE RESOLUTION 153--REAFFIRMING THE UNIQUE COLLABORATION AMONG
UNITED STATES NONGOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS (NGOS), INCLUDING FAITH-
BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES TO DELIVER
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE TO SYRIANS
Mr. LANKFORD (for himself and Mr. Casey) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:
S. Res. 153
Whereas the Syrian civil war, now in its eighth year, has
forced 14,000,000 Syrians to flee, more than half of the
country's pre-war population, with 6,500,000 internally
displaced people (IDPs) still within the country;
Whereas ``Operation Good Neighbor'' is a program of the
Israel Defense Forces to provide humanitarian relief to
Syrians;
Whereas Operation Good Neighbor worked with United States
nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to help forge
unprecedented partnerships between the Israel Defense Forces
(IDF) and Syrian NGOs, which opened a new channel for the
delivery of humanitarian assistance;
Whereas, as a result, food, fuel, medicine, ambulances, and
medical supplies were flowing cross-border from Israel into
southern Syria;
Whereas this new channel permitted these goods to arrive at
Israeli ports, and be trucked by the IDF through Israel to
the border with Syria;
Whereas, at the border, the IDF transferred these
containers to Syrian NGOs for transport and distribution to
IDPs and local residents in previously hard-to-reach
locations in southern Syria;
Whereas United States NGOs, including faith-based
organizations, facilitated the relationships between the
Syrian NGOs and the IDF by providing overall coordination and
support for this regional cooperation to help promote
regional peace through a multifaceted humanitarian relief
operation;
Whereas the program initially reached only villages along
the border, but expanded to a broader area of southern Syria,
and as deliveries continued on a sustained basis, the
initiative ultimately reached an even greater population; and
Whereas, in addition to the value of the humanitarian
relief itself, the Syrian/Israeli partnerships, created and
reinforced through the success of the new channel,
demonstrated the value of cooperation and continues to serve
as a role model for strengthened positive relations between
Syrians and Israelis: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate hereby reaffirms the unique
collaboration between United States nongovernmental
organizations (NGOs), including faith-based organizations,
and Syrian NGOs and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for
having provided vital aid to internally displaced people and
local residents in southern Syria while also countering
generations of hostility, promoting dialogue between
neighbors, and ultimately advancing long-term stability in
the region.
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