The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has called for all governments, including the Obama Administration, to hold Palestinian Authority (PA) president Mahmoud Abbas accountable, now that the Fatah/PA has merged with the terrorist group Hamas, for Hamas rocket attacks launched upon Israel from Gaza. Abbas has neither condemned nor acted to stop the rocket attacks. The ZOA urges that the PA be held accountable, now that Hamas, whose Charter calls for the destruction of Israel (Article 15) and the murder of Jews (Article 7) and which controls Gaza, is part of the PA regime.
Yesterday alone, more than 30 rockets pounded southern Israeli towns and villages, with one Grad rocket reaching as far as Beersheba, deep in the Negev region. Over 150 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza in recent weeks. Hamas itself is conducting the rocket fire and has openly stated that it fired hundreds of rockets into Israel since mid-June (Nidal Al-Mughrabi, ‘Hamas steps up rocket fire, Israel says ready for escalation,’ Reuters, July 7, 2014).
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Mahmoud Abbas Fatah/PA entered a unity government with Hamas in May. From that moment, it assumed responsibility for law and order in Gaza, which has been run by Hamas since 2007 but which is now PA territory.
“Terrorists in Gaza are firing missiles into Israel. It is the PA’s responsibility to condemn it and to deploy its forces to end it. They have done neither.
“Abbas has merely asked Hamas’ Khaled Mashaal to stop firing, since continuing it will only provide Israel with ‘an excuse’ to take military action. That is not condemnation. That is not taking action.
“It will be said that Abbas’ lacks organized forces in Gaza since Hamas ousted the Fatah/PA in 2007. But that is now irrelevant. Hamas most definitely has forces in Gaza and it is now part of the PA regime. It must condemn and stop the rocket attacks and arrest the perpetrators, not praise, encourage and enable them, as it has always done.
“The PA is not being held accountable. Yet, presumably, those, like the Obama Administration, that accepted this terrorist Hamas/Fatah PA regime should be the first to call it out and hold it accountable. After all, they were the ones saying that the PA had to be unified and speak with one voice in order for the peace to be kept and for negotiations to proceed. Well, here’s an early test –– and it has clearly failed.
“The Obama Administration should end all aid and support to the PA –– especially if the Hamas/Fatah PA fails to act immediately to end the rocket fire.”