Ros-Lehtinen: In Speech, Obama Should Reject Palestinian Statehood Scheme, Stop Funding PA Aligned with Hamas

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said today that the Palestinian Authority (PA) continues to fail to meet the requirements for statehood and urged President Obama to pledge to cut off funding to any Palestinian Authority government aligned with Hamas and block any UN action sought by the Palestinian leadership to recognize a Palestinian state prior to a negotiated final peace agreement with Israel. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“The claim by Abu Mazen and other Palestinian leaders that they have met the test for statehood is a sham. 

“The Palestinian leadership refuses to recognize Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish state. The Palestinian Authority also has forged a partnership with Hamas, an organization designated by the U.S. as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and which calls for the destruction of Israel in its charter. The PA seizes upon any excuse to refuse to negotiate with Israel. And now, Abu Mazen and company are pursuing a scheme at the UN to achieve recognition without doing anything in return. 

“I hope that in his speech tomorrow, President Obama will stand up for peace and security and make it clear that the U.S. will cut off funding to the Hamas-aligned Palestinian Authority, veto Palestinian attempts to gain recognition of statehood by the UN Security Council, and do everything possible to block such action by the UN General Assembly. I urge the President to focus on the real obstacles to peace and security, which are the policies and actions of the Palestinian leadership.”