Congress Wants To Cut Off Aid To Palestinians; Israel Opposed

Congress wants to put pressure on the Palestinian Authority to break off from Hamas--not that hard a task, considering their inability to consummate their unity deal.

The bill being considered by the Republican-controlled house will cut off aid to the PA:

• if Hamas plays any role in the PA in the future
• unless the PA mus stop all incitement against Israel and Jews
• unless the Palestinian Authority official recognizes Israel as a Jewish state

In addition, the bill:

• endorses President Bush’s 2004 letter to Israel promising U.S. support for Israel’s retention of Jerusalem and the settlement blocs in a peace deal
• ends the waiver that has allowed presidents to evade previous legislation that mandated the United States must move its embassy to Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
• requires official American documents to list Jerusalem as part of Israel
• requires the State Department to report on its diplomatic efforts to end efforts to isolate Israel
• includes a commitment to continue aid to Israel at the current rate of $3 billion-plus per year--with slight increases during a 10-year memorandum of understanding
• funds the Israeli missile defense, which in a separate defense appropriations committee

In addition, the bill requires

• a ban on aid to Lebanon if Hezbollah joins its government
• Egypt to honor the peace treaty with Israel, reject members of terror groups from its governments, and detect and destroy smuggling tunnels to Gaza in order to receive aid

Not too shabby.

Not surprisingly, the bill is expected to fall through when it comes to the Democrat-controlled Senate.

What is surprising to some is that Israel is not so gung-ho to cut off aid to the Arabs. According to an Israeli official:

We are interested in a Palestinian Authority maintaining law and order, and strengthening their security forces and prospering,” he said of US funding to the PA. “If there’s no change with Hamas and Fatah [in the government], there’s no reason to change the current situation.

Still, I imagine that among the other provisions of the proposed bill, there might be some that Israel wouldn't might see approved by the US Congress.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Gaza and Hamas and Operation Cast Lead.