(AP/Washington Post) The House on Wednesday joined President Bush in backing Israeli Prime Minister Sharon's plan to withdraw from all Gaza Strip settlements. The resolution, passed 407-9, said Congress strongly endorsed the principles laid down by Bush in an April 14 letter to Sharon, including the belief that it was unrealistic to expect Israel to pull back to borders that existed before the 1967 Mideast war because of the large Jewish populations that had settled in contested areas. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who sponsored the resolution with Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, said, "Israel must not retreat behind its 1949 borders, and there is no so-called right of return" for refugees.
2004-06-24 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive