32 Congress members cite PMW documentation to demand that Sec. of State Kerry close PLO office in Washington
32 Congress members cite PMW documentation
to demand that Sec. of State Kerry
close PLO office in Washington
to demand that Sec. of State Kerry
close PLO office in Washington
On Dec. 18, 2015, Congressman Mark Meadows and Senator Ted Cruz sent a letter to Secretary of State John Kerry demanding that he close down the PLO office in Washington. The letter was based on PMW documentation that the PLO pays salaries to Palestinian terrorists serving time in Israeli prisons. 32 members of congress signed the letter.
The following is the full letter that was sent to Kerry:
The Honorable John F. Kerry
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520
December 18, 2015
Dear Secretary Kerry,
Palestinian incitement to violence is a serious and ongoing threat to peace. In recent months, Israel has seen a dramatic increase in deadly attacks carried out by Palestinians sympathetic to the message of hatred and intolerance proclaimed by leaders within the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The spike in violence in Israel is directly connected to the Palestinian government’s teaching of hate and glorification of terrorism.
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reported that the PLO funds terrorism by paying “salaries” to Palestinians who are put in Israeli jails as a way of rewarding and incentivizing terror attacks. The longer the term, the higher the salary. Each year, the PLO provides about $150 million to terrorists imprisoned in Israel and families of deceased terrorists.
Shockingly, despite being complicit in spreading hatred and terror, the PLO retains an office in Washington, D.C. In the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987, Congress forbade the PLO from establishing or maintaining an office in the United States. However, each year since 1994, a President has signed a waiver allowing the PLO office in Washington, D.C. to remain open.
This fall, both the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously passed resolutions condemning Palestinian incitement. The United States government has an obligation to publicly denounce the PLO’s actions and should immediately revoke its waiver. Allowing the PLO to maintain an office in Washington, D.C. provides no benefit to the United States or the peace process.
We ask that the State Department revoke the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s waiver to maintain an office in the United States. Closing the PLO office in Washington, D.C. would send a clear statement that the kind of incitement to violence perpetrated by the PLO and its leaders will not be tolerated.
Sincerely,
Mark Meadows
Member of Congress
Ted Cruz
United States Senator
Secretary of State
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW Washington, DC 20520
December 18, 2015
Dear Secretary Kerry,
Palestinian incitement to violence is a serious and ongoing threat to peace. In recent months, Israel has seen a dramatic increase in deadly attacks carried out by Palestinians sympathetic to the message of hatred and intolerance proclaimed by leaders within the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO). The spike in violence in Israel is directly connected to the Palestinian government’s teaching of hate and glorification of terrorism.
Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) reported that the PLO funds terrorism by paying “salaries” to Palestinians who are put in Israeli jails as a way of rewarding and incentivizing terror attacks. The longer the term, the higher the salary. Each year, the PLO provides about $150 million to terrorists imprisoned in Israel and families of deceased terrorists.
Shockingly, despite being complicit in spreading hatred and terror, the PLO retains an office in Washington, D.C. In the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1987, Congress forbade the PLO from establishing or maintaining an office in the United States. However, each year since 1994, a President has signed a waiver allowing the PLO office in Washington, D.C. to remain open.
This fall, both the House of Representatives and the Senate unanimously passed resolutions condemning Palestinian incitement. The United States government has an obligation to publicly denounce the PLO’s actions and should immediately revoke its waiver. Allowing the PLO to maintain an office in Washington, D.C. provides no benefit to the United States or the peace process.
We ask that the State Department revoke the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s waiver to maintain an office in the United States. Closing the PLO office in Washington, D.C. would send a clear statement that the kind of incitement to violence perpetrated by the PLO and its leaders will not be tolerated.
Sincerely,
Mark Meadows
Member of Congress
Ted Cruz
United States Senator
[http://www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=2561]
