29 Democratic U.S. Senators Also Call for U.S. aid cut

The ZOA strongly supports and has praised the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations (representing 51 national Jewish groups), of which ZOA is a charter member, for calling for an end to U.S. and European aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) after the Fatah/PA forged a unity government agreement with the Hamas terrorist group. The Conference of Presidents strongly expressed its view that a Fatah/Hamas unity regime constitutes a “danger.” Regarding PA president Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh’s public support for violent demonstrations and incursions into Israel from Lebanon, Syria and Hamas-controlled Gaza this week, the Conference of Presidents said, “These are not the words of someone committed to a peaceful resolution through negotiations … These statements underscore the need for clear declarations by the United States, European countries and others that they will not provide assistance to a Palestinian Authority that encourages or approves violence, refuses to negotiate and does not live up to its commitments in previous agreements” (‘Abbas’ Tribute to Violent Demonstrators and Haniyeh’s Call for “An End to the Zionist Project” Underscores Danger of Hamas-Fatah Unity,’ Conference of Presidents press release, May 16, 2011).

The Conference of Presidents also expressed “deep concern” that Abbas has said regarding those killed in these orchestrated clashes and border incidents that “their blood was not spilt in vain” (Elior Levy, ‘Abbas: Bloodshed not in vain,’ Yediot Ahronoth, May 15, 2011). Hamas’ Haniyeh spoke in a Gaza City mosque of Palestinians having great hope for “an end to the Zionist project in Palestine” (‘On Nakba Day: “The Zionist project must end,”’ Ezzedeen Al Qassam Brigades Information Office, May 16, 2011).

Abbas’ Fatah, which controls the PA, calls in its Constitution for the destruction of Israel (Article 12) and the use of terrorism as an indispensible element in the campaign to achieve that goal (Article 19), while Hamas, with which the PA concluded this month a unity government agreement, calls in its Charter for the destruction of Israel (article 15) and the murder of Jews (article 7). Even now, Abbas is making it clear that he is promoting a Palestinian state for the purpose of continuing the war against Israel, rather than creating peace with Israel. Only this week, in the New York Times, Abbas said, “Palestine’s admission to the United Nations would pave the way for the internationalization of the conflict as a legal matter, not only a political one. It would also pave the way for us to pursue claims against Israel at the United Nations, human rights treaty bodies and the International Court of Justice” (‘The Long Overdue Palestinian State,’ New York Times, May 16, 2011).

The Conference of Presidents’ call for the U.S. and European Union (E.U.) to publicly declare that they will cease funding the PA for supporting violence, refusing negotiations and failing to honor its signed commitments under the Oslo agreements, echoes a similar call earlier this month by 29 Democratic senators – more than half of the 53-member Democratic Senate caucus – in which the senators, citing the recent Fatah/Hamas unity government deal, declared in a letter to President Barack Obama that, “It is imperative for you to make clear to President Abbas that Palestinian Authority participation in a unity government with an unreformed Hamas will jeopardize its relationship with the United States, including its receipt of U.S. aid. As you are aware, U.S. law prohibits aid from being provided to a Palestinian government that includes Hamas.” (Republic senators are also working on a letter to President Obama, also calling for a halting funding to the PA).

ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “We strongly support the Conference of Presidents’ call on the Obama Administration and E.U., as we did the earlier Senate Democratic caucus letter, initiated by Senators Bob Menendez and (D-NJ) and Robert P. Casey (D-PA), in their call that the PA should not be the recipient of U.S. or E.U. aid, because the PA is an unreconstructed, terror-sponsoring regime, whose leadership refuses to accept Israel’s existence as a Jewish state, arrest terrorists and end incitement to hatred and murder against Israel. To the contrary, it has cemented a unity government agreement with Hamas, which supports the genocide of Jews. Since Oslo, the PA has been promoting hatred and violence in the PA-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps and has named scores of streets, schools and after terrorists who have murdered Jews, declared public days of honor when terrorists die and honored the families that have produced terrorists.

Now, Abbas has openly supported violence and bloodshed against Israel. He and the PA he heads are beyond the pale and undeserving of any international support, rewards or concessions until, at the very least, it fulfills its 17-year old commitments to end terrorism and incitement to hatred and murder against Israel, arrest Jew-killing terrorists, and outlaw terrorist groups, meaning, of course, among others things, that it must end its alliance with the terrorist group Hamas. Hamas is on the U.S. and E.U. terrorism lists, as well as that of Australia, Canada, Japan and other countries.”