North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows (R) slammed the Obama Administration for publicly embracing the new Palestinian “unity” government. The government includes Hamas, which the United States and European Union designated terrorist organization.
When testifying in April before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and North Africa, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, Anne Patterson, assured me and others that “[The U.S.] would never support and will certainly not support a Palestinian government that includes Hamas.”
Patterson also told those in the hearing that, “Hamas…is a designated terrorist organization. And it is illegal for Americans or American funding to engage in that.”
But despite the promises, the State Department took no time to embrace the unity government that includes Hamas – against U.S. law and the will of Congress.
Hamas is a deadly terrorist organization that continues to deny Israel’s right to exist and calls for its destruction.
The United States should not give a penny to the Palestinian Authority as long as it continues to embrace this dangerous terrorist organization that threatens our great ally Israel. The U.S. must send a strong and clear message that we will not tolerate any government that has terrorists in its ranks.
Meadows joined U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) in demanding that the Obama Administration follow existing U.S. law as it relates to Hamas funding. But Meadows insists all funding be cut immediately.
Since its founding in 1987, Hamas has a long history of conducting vicious acts of terror against civilians, including Americans.
- On June 25, 2006, Hamas killed two Israeli soldiers and kidnapped a corporal, Gilad Shalit, demanding the release of all Palestinian prisoners under 18 years old for his return. The case remained unresolved by mid-autumn 2006.
- On July 31, 2002, nine people were killed when a bomb exploded in the main cafeteria at the Hebrew University’s Mount Scopus campus in Jerusalem. Five were U.S. citizens.
- A February 6, 1996 suicide attack at the Jersualem bus station killed 17 civilians and 9 soldiers. Six U.S. citizens were killed and injured in the attack.
- On October 19, 1994, a suicide attack on a bus in central Tel Aviv left 21 Israelis and a Dutch tourist dead.
- On October 9, 1994, Hamas kidnapped and murdered Nachshon Wachsman, 19, whose family came from New York.
In addition, when U.S. Navy SEALs found and killed the 9/11 terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, Hamas leadership condemned the operation.