House Passes Bill Denying U.S. Funds To Terrorist-Run Palestinan Government

Washington, D.C. - The House on Tuesday approved bipartisan legislation cosponsored by Congressman Brad Sherman to end all direct aid to the Hamas-run Palestinian Authority until Hamas renounces violence and recognizes Israels right to exist.

œHamas ran on a platform of ethnic cleansing and genocide, pushing all Jews in the Middle East into the Mediterranean. They won on that platfom, and for us to see dollars going to a regime which is bent on ethnic cleansing and genocide would be absolutely absurd, Congressman Brad Sherman said.

œThis legislation ensures that necessary humanitarian assistance is still able to reach the Palestinian people, while keeping American taxpayer dollars out of the hands of terrorists, he added.

Sherman joined with Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and others in introducing the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act. The House today approved the measure 361 to 37. Similar legislation is currently under consideration by the Senate. œMy fear is that the Senate will ultimately pass a weaker bill than we did in the House today, commented Sherman, who had fought to strengthen the House bill further in committee.

The measure strengthens the current ban on contact with and funding of a Hamas-led government, while preserving necessary humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people. The prohibition will remain in place until the president can certify that the Palestinian Authority is not controlled by a terrorist group, and until Hamas agrees to fight terrorism, recognizes Israel's right to exist as a Jewish state, and accepts all previous agreements with Israel.

Hamas -- designated a terrorist group by the United States, the European Union, Japan, Australia and many others -- won control of the Palestinian legislature during the January 2006 Palestinian elections. Hamas charter calls for the destruction of Israel and rejects any peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The new Palestinian legislature and Hamas Prime Minister have since approved the governments slate of new cabinet ministers, comprised almost entirely of Hamas members.