Bush’s Actions
Don’t Match His Words

NEW YORK – On the same day that President Bush publicly declared that Yasir Arafat “must act” against terrorism, the Bush administration announced that it is sending Arafat another $100-million in U.S. taxpayers’ money, even though he has never acted seriously against terrorism.

Following the President’s speech, the administration notified Congress that it is once again waiving Congressional restrictions against aid to the Palestinian Arabs. Those restrictions stipulate that if Arafat violates the Oslo accords, the U.S. cannot give any financial aid to the Palestinian Arabs—unless the President decides that it is “in the national security interest of the United States” to give them the aid, regardless of their violations of the accords.

Among other things, the accords require Arafat and the Palestinian Authority to refrain from violence against Israel; disarm and outlaw terrorist groups; surrender terrorists to Israel for prosecution; halt the anti-Jewish and anti-Israel incitement in their media, schools, summer camps, speeches, and religious sermons; and respect human rights and democracy. Arafat and the PA have never honored any of these obligations.

Morton A. Klein, National President of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) said: “It is deeply disappointing that the President’s actions do not match his words. His calls for Arafat to act against terror will fall on deaf ears so long as he continues sending Arafat $100-million each year despite Arafat’s refusal to act against terror. For the past ten years, every president and every secretary of state has urged Arafat to act against terror; Arafat has defied every one of them; and yet the U.S. continues giving him $100-million each, a total of almost $1-billion so far. This sends a message to Arafat that the U.S. will continue giving him American taxpayers’ dollars, even if his terrorists murder Jews and no matter how many ‘peace’ promises he breaks.”