|
December 15, 2005
Union
of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
Expresses Strong Support for U.S.
House Resolution Calling on
Palestinian Leader Abbas to Exclude
Hamas from Participating
in the
Upcoming Palestinian Elections
Today, in
advance of a congressional vote, the Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America expressed its strong support for a
bipartisan resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives
calling upon Palestinian Authority President Abbas to exclude
the terrorist group Hamas from participating in the upcoming
Palestinian elections through the slating of candidates for the
Palestinian legislature.
H. Res. 575, sponsored by Reps. Eric Cantor (R-VA), Menendez
(D-NJ), Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Berkley (D-NV), McCaul (R-TX) and
Wexler (D-FL), expresses the view that the House of
Representatives:
“asserts that terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, should not
be permitted to participate in Palestinian elections until such
organizations recognize Israel's right to exist as a Jewish
state, cease incitement, condemn terrorism, and permanently
disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure; calls on
the Palestinian Authority President Abbas before the election to
declare openly his intention to take action to dismantle the
terrorist organizations; and asserts that the inclusion of Hamas,
or any other terrorist group on the State Department list of
foreign terrorist organizations, into the Palestinian governing
structure will inevitably raise serious policy considerations
for the United States, potentially undermining the continued
ability of the United States to provide financial assistance and
conduct normal relations with the Palestinian Authority.”
Stephen Savitsky, president of the UOJCA, issued the following
statement in advance of the House vote:
Our community greatly appreciates the strong message that the
U.S. House will send to the Palestinian Authority and its people
with this resolution. Israel has time and again undertaken great
risks and wrenching decisions for the sake of peace. Especially
in the wake of the disengagement from Gaza, the onus truly lies
on the Palestinian side to undertake bold steps – and
confronting the terrorists of Hamas, as President Abbas has
committed publicly, is long overdue.
We commend the leadership of Representatives Cantor, Menendez
and the other members of Congress in bringing this issue to the
fore and marshalling Congress to send this strong message to the
Middle East.
###
|
