The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) urges the termination of U.S.-taxpayer-funding of Mahmoud Abbas’ Palestinian Authority (PA), following Abbas’ call this week for the creation off a temporary national unity government with Hamas, the U.S.- and European Union-recognized terrorist group. Hamas, responsible for scores of suicide bombings in Israel, the murder of several hundreds of Israeli civilians and the wounding and maiming of thousands more, calls in its Charter for the destruction of Israel (Article 15) and the global murder of Jews (Article 7).
The PA’s Abbas, seeking to push forward long-stalled efforts to reconcile the two major competing Palestinian factions, invited the Hamas senior leader, Khaled Meshal, to send representatives to to negotiations for this purpose, following a meeting Abbas held with Meshal last month in Qatar. Abbas stated, “Our national unity is our safety valve, and I call on Hamas to end the division …There will not be a Palestinian state without Gaza” (Rami Nazzal & Peter Baker, ‘Mahmoud Abbas Proposes Palestinian Unity Government With Hamas,’ New York Times, November 30, 2016).
Abbas has previously stated, “We must unite the Hamas and Fatah blood in the struggle against Israel as we did at the beginning of the intifada. We want a political partnership with Hamas.” He has also described wanted Palestinian terrorists as “heroes fighting for freedom.”
ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said, “Abbas’ call for a unity government with Hamas comes as no surprise; it has been his position for years, but its reiteration warrants a strong and realistic response.
“Mahmoud Abbas would be only too happy to have the genocidally-inclined Hamas terrorist movement as part of his pro-terror, anti peace regime, which not only glorifies dead terrorists, but also pays stipends to living ones and orchestrates incitement to hatred and murder against Israel and Jews in the PA-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps.
“Indeed, the Fatah Constitution, which Abbas heads, calls for the destruction of Israel (Article 12) and the use of terrorism as an indispensable element in the struggle to achieve that goal (Article 19).
“Abbas’ PA has not fulfilled its commitments under the Oslo agreements to arrest terrorists, outlaw terrorist groups and end the incitement to hatred and murder in the PA-controlled media, mosques, schools and youth camps that fuels the conflict. It has repeatedly and explicitly refused to accept Israel’s existence as a Jewish state.
“Moreover, Abbas’ PA, barring two meetings in one week some seven years ago, has refused to engage in talks with Israel for the whole of the past eight years.
“Under such conditions, there is neither wisdom nor justification for U.S. taxpayer funding of this pro-terror, anti-peace regime.
“It is also noteworthy that both the American public as a whole and American Jews have both opposed U.S. funding for the PA.
“For example, a January 2014 The National Omnibus Poll, showed that an overwhelming majority of Americans–– 72% –– opposed planned funding to the Palestinian Authority, as opposed to a mere 15% who were in favor of it –– almost a 5 –– 1 ratio.
“Similarly, the 2011 AJC Survey of American Jewish opinion showed that an overwhelming 73% of American Jews opposed continuation of U.S.-funding to the PA, as opposed to a mere 21% who supported its continuation “If the Palestinian Authority and Hamas form a unity government.”(This question has not been asked by the AJC since 2011).
“Quite simply, the PA should not be the recipient of U.S. aid, because it is an unreconstructed, terror-sponsoring regime, whose leadership refuses to accept Israel’s existence as a Jewish state. It is undeserving of any international support, rewards or concessions until, at the very least, it fulfills its 23-year old commitments to end terrorism and incitement to hatred and murder against Israel and Jews.
“Abbas’ proposal for a unity government with Hamas should automatically render it ineligible and illegal for any form of U.S. aid or diplomatic support.”