AL-MONITOR
by Julian Pecquet
June 3, 2014
The Obama administration said Monday that it wouldn’t cut off funds to the Palestinian Authority (PA) despite its unity government with Hamas, setting up a bruising battle with Congress.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters that the administration believes the PA has “every desire and intent” to abide by its commitment to recognize Israel and forswear violence.
…..”The Palestinian leaders know that a unity government would trigger US law to cut off funding, so now they are trying to find loopholes in order to say that they are still abiding by the conditions our law’s mandate,” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the author of 2006 legislation that bars taxpayer support for a “Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority,” said in a statement.
“The PA deciding to partner with a designated foreign terrorist organization once again reaffirms that Abu Mazen is not a true partner for peace and the US must respond by withholding assistance to any Hamas backed unity government,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “The administration must not fall for Abu Mazen’s latest ploy and instead enforce US law and cut off funding.”
ArchitectGuy on Israel 