NEW YORK – The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) strongly supports President Bush’s imposition of initial sanctions on the terrorist Syrian regime, as required by the Syria Accountability Act.

The ZOA worked extensively on behalf of the Syria Accountability Act since the bill’s conception. ZOA representatives undertook an intensive and prolonged effort to educate Members of Congress about the importance of the legislation. The lead sponsors were U.S. Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL).

The ZOA is urging the Bush administration to likewise impose sanctions on Yasir Arafat’s terrorist Palestinian Authority regime which, like Syria, sponsors terrorism and provides haven for terrorists, including the murderers of American citizens.

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said: “President Bush is to be commended for taking this important first step in the fight against Syrian-sponsored terrorism, and Representatives Engel and Ros-Lehtinen likewise deserve the highest praise for their leadership of this effort. The next appropriate step would be for the administration to be consistent in imposing sanctions on terrorist regimes by suspending all negotiations and financial assistance to Yasir Arafat’s terrorist Palestinian Authority regime.”