Morton Klein’s Memo to President Obama Re: Foreign Aid
ZOA in the news
January 20, 2009


Memo to President Obama


January 15, 2009, Philadelphia Jewish Exponent                                    

FOREIGN AID


An Arab-Israeli peace is only possible if Palestinian society is transformed into one that genuinely supports peace with Israel. Without that, no amount of American aid or Israeli concessions will produce peace.


Therefore, American support for the Palestinian Authority — $700 million a year — must be conditional on Palestinian fulfillment of their written agreements from Oslo to the road map to end the incitement to hatred and murder of Jews in the P.A.-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps; arrest terrorists; and dismantle terror groups.


Islamist terror is a threat to societies everywhere, and we must support Israel‘s efforts to defeat Hamas and the other jihadist terror groups. Therefore, in Gaza, a mere cease-fire would be a mistake.


America must assist Israel in rendering Hamas ineffective as a fighting force that can terrorize southern Israel.


A cease-fire, in contrast, offers only a temporary respite and ensures deferring peace, entrenching Hamas further and strengthening Islamist groups everywhere.


Egypt has significant responsibility for the current conflict by permitting the smuggling of weaponry from Iran and Syria through Egypt into Gaza.


Further American aid to Egypt should be conditional on Egypt stopping the trafficking of arms and terrorists into Gaza.


Morton A. Klein is the national president of the Zionist Organization of America.

Our Mission
ZOA STATEMENT
The ZOA speaks out for Israel – in reports, newsletters, and other publications. In speeches in synagogues, churches, and community events, in high schools and colleges from coast to coast. In e-mail action alerts. In op-eds and letters to the editor. In radio and television appearances by ZOA leaders. Always on the front lines of pro-Israel activism, ZOA has made its mark.
Center for Law & Justice
We work to educate the American public and Congress about legal issues in order to advance the interests of Israel and the Jewish people.
We assist American victims of terrorism in vindicating their rights under the law, and seek to hold terrorists and sponsors of terrorism accountable for their actions.
We fight anti-Semitism and anti-Israel bias in the media and on college campuses.
We strive to enforce existing law and also to create new law in order to safeguard the rights of the Jewish people in the United States and Israel.