On Friday, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution opposing Hamas's participation in the Palestinian Authority (PA) elections. The resolution, sponsored by Representative Eric Cantor (R-VA), with Michael McCaul (R-TX),Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL),Robert Menendez (D-NJ),Robert Wexler (D-FL), and Shelley Berkley (D-NV), passed 397-17, with seven abstentions.
The resolution reaffirmed the House of Representatives' commitment to the security of Israel. It asserted 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 disarm and dismantle their terrorist infrastructure; and that Hamas' or any other terrorist group's inclusion into the Palestinian governing structure will inevitably raise serious U.S. policy considerations, potentially undermining the ability of the United States to provide financial assistance and conduct normal relations with the PA. Congress called on Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas before the election to declare openly his intention to dismantle the terrorist organizations. The resolution stated that progress in the peace process requires sustained Palestinian effort to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure.
The US Senate is expected to pass a similar resolution shortly. However, Washington observers note that the resolution's significance is mainly symbolic.
Nonetheless, AIPAC president Bernice Manocherian and executive director Howard Kohr issued a statement applauding the resolution.
"AIPAC applauds today's overwhelming passage in the House of Representatives of House Resolution 575, a bipartisan resolution calling on the Palestinian Authority to set election eligibility criteria requiring terrorist groups including Hamas to recognize Israel's right to exist, renounce terrorism and disarm before they can participate in the democratic process, and making clear that the inclusion of terrorists such as Hamas in any future PA government would have serious consequences for the US-PA relationship.
"Terrorists have no place in a democratic society. Hamas and other terrorist groups pose a direct threat to the emergence of a peaceful, stable, prosperous Palestinian state capable of living in peace with the Jewish State of Israel," AIPAC's leaders said.
Israeli officials in Washington and Jerusalem also welcomed the resolution. Minister of Foreign Affairs and deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom called it "an most important decision," which would help to prevent the establishment of a Hamas state in proximity to Israel.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on Sunday, December 18, 2005