Verkligheten drabbar Kerry

A Sad Evening in Washington, as Palestinians Celebrate Unity – Barak Ravid (Ha’aretz)
    A group of Israeli and Palestinian businessmen arrived on Thursday at the State Department in Washington for a festive dinner at which Secretary of State John Kerry would be launching a grandiose plan to fire up the Palestinian economy.
    It included the investment of billions of dollars in projects and infrastructure by giant multinational corporations, who were enlisted to lay down the foundation of a future Palestinian state.
    A day before the festivities, news of the reconciliation agreement between Fatah and Hamas arrived.
    Kerry, who was caught completely off guard, was furious. One of those invited to the dinner said that Kerry had even considered cancelling the entire event.

 

Hamas Deal Last Straw for Congress on U.S. Aid to Palestinians– Julian Pecquet
Wednesday’s announcement of a reconciliation between the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah triggered an instant call for retaliation on Capitol Hill. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.), who chairs the House Foreign Affairs panel on the Middle East and authored the Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, called for an immediate suspension of U.S. aid to the PA. The 2006 law prohibits support for a ”Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority.”
”The Administration must halt aid to the Palestinian Authority and condition any future assistance as leverage to force Abu Mazen [Abbas] to abandon this reconciliation with Hamas and to implement real reforms within the PA,” Ros-Lehtinen said. ”U.S. law is clear on the prohibition of U.S. assistance to a unity Palestinian government that includes Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, and President Obama must not allow one cent of American taxpayer money to help fund this terrorist group.”
Her Democratic counterpart on the subcommittee, Ted Deutch of Florida, said, ”Be certain that the Palestinian Authority will face significant consequences if a unity government is formed that includes terrorist members of Hamas.”  (Al-Monitor)

 Congress Eyes Steps to Defund PA
Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, said Thursday she is ready to launch steps to defund the Palestinian Authority in the wake of its unity agreement with Hamas. ”I’ll be working with the State Department on the logistics of suspending assistance….At this point the law is clear, their actions are clear and the path forward is clear.”
On Wednesday, Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas), the chairwoman of the Foreign Operations subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, said, ”Not only does this action potentially derail any hope of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, it puts in jeopardy future U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority.”  (JTA)