H.R. 1175
106th Congress of the U.S.A.

AT THE FIRST SESSION

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Wednesday,
the sixth day of January, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine


An Act
To locate and secure the return of Zachary Baumel, a United States citizen, and
other Israeli soldiers missing in action.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatiues of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,-
SECTION 1. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.
  The Congress finds that-
      (1) Zachary Baumel, a United States citizen serving in
the Israeli military forces, has been missing in action since
June 1982 when he was captured by forces affiliated with
the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) following a tank
battle with Syrian forces at Sultan Ya'akub in Lebanon;
      (2) Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman, Israeli citizens serving
in the Israeli military forces, have been missing in action since
June 1982 when they were also captured by these same forces
in a tank battle with Syrian forces at Sultan Ya'akub in Leb-
anon;
      (3)these three soldiers were last known to be in the hands
of a Palestinian faction splintered from the PLO and operating
in Syrian-controlled territory, thus making this a matter within
the responsibility of the Government of Syria;
      (4) diplomatic efforts to secure the release of these individ-
uals have been unsuccessful, although PLO Chairman Yasser
Arafat delivered one-half of Zachary Baumel's dog tag to Israeli
Government authorities; and
      (5) in the Gaza-Jericho agreement between the Palestinian
Authority and the Government of Israel of May 4, 1994, Pales-
tinian officials agreed to cooperate with Israel in locating and
working for the return of Israeli soldiers missing in action.
SEC. 2. ACTIONS WITH RESPECT TO MISSING SOLDIERS.
      (a)  CONTINUING COMMUNICATION WITH CERTAIN GOVERN-
MENTS.-The Secretary of State shall continue to raise the matter
of Zachary Baumel, Yehuda Katz, and Zvi Feldman on an urgent
basis with appropriate government officials of Syria, Lebanon, the
Palestinian Authority, and with other governments in the region
and elsewhere that, in the determination of the Secretary, may
be helpful in locating and securing the return of these soldiers.
      (b) PROVISION OF ASSISTANCE TO CERTAIN GOVERNMENTS.-
In deciding whether or not to provide United States assistance
to any government or authority which the Secretary of State
believes has information concerning the whereabouts of the soldiers
described in subsection (a), and in formulating United States policy
towards such government or authority, the President should take
into consideration the willingness of the government or authority
to assist in locating and securing the return of such soldiers.
SEC. 3. REPORTS BY SECRETARY OF STATE.
      (a) INITIAL REPORT.-Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall prepare
and submit to the Committee on International Relations of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations
of the Senate a written report that describes the efforts of the
Secretary pursuant to section 2(a) and United States policies
affected pursuant to section 2(b).
      (b) SUBSEQUENT REPORTS.-Not later than 15 days after
receiving from any source any additional credible information
relating to the individuals described in section 2(a), the Secretary
of State shall prepare and submit to the committees described
in subsection (a) a written report that contains such additional
information.
    (c) FORM OF REPORTS.-A report submitted under subsection
(a) or (b) shall be made available to the public and may include
a classified annex.




Speaker of the House of Representatives.




Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.

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