Letter to Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, and Bob Corker, Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations - Stand With Israel Act

Letter

July 9, 2014

Senator Robert Menendez
Chairman
Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Senator Bob Corker
Ranking Member
Committee on Foreign Relations
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Chairman Menendez and Ranking Member Corker,

As you are aware, the terrorist organization Hamas, finding itself under extreme financial hardship and in need of a bailout, reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority to create a unity government, with that government recently swearing in new ministers.

Hamas' charter declares that "there is no solution to the Palestinian question except by Jihad," its spokesperson in Gaza recently called for an intifada against Israel, and their political head has reaffirmed Hamas' commitment to Israel's destruction. Hamas is also responsible for the recent kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers from the West Bank-one of whom held U.S. citizenship. Hamas' record of anti-Israel propaganda, terrorism and violence, as well as its call for the outright destruction of the state of Israel, compels us to take immediate action to prevent U.S. taxpayer money from falling into the hands of terrorists who would further destabilize the region and do harm to our friend and ally.

Under existing laws, foreign assistance cannot be provided to the Palestinian Authority if it is "effectively controlled" by Hamas, or if Hamas has "undue influence." Because we face a unique power sharing agreement, the Obama administration will not interpret the Palestinian Authority unity government as meeting either threshold under our current law. In fact, according to a June 2nd report from the Washington Post, the Obama administration actually provided advice to the Palestinian Authority for how to form a government with Hamas that would not trigger U.S. legal requirements to cease assistance. This is completely unacceptable.

Immediately after the announcement of the Fatah-Hamas unity government, I introduced the Stand with Israel Act (S. 2265). This legislation, which has 17 co-sponsors, would impose real conditions on U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority, including formal recognition of Israel's right to exist, the renouncing of terrorism, removal of terrorists from security services, ceasing anti-Israeli propaganda, and commitment to previous diplomatic agreements with the U.S. and Israel. Non-binding resolutions and waiver-ridden laws will not stop American funds from flowing to the terrorists in Hamas.

I have called for Congress to take immediate action on this legislation, and I have twice gone to the Senate floor to request consent to pass the bill so that Congress can move it to the president's desk as soon as possible. Unfortunately, these consent requests have received objections from the Foreign Relations Committee leadership. In part, these objections have been based on a need to maintain "regular order" in the committee.

I know you share my deep concern for what this new Palestinian Authority government will mean for the future security of Israel, but a high priority such as this should not be delayed on procedural grounds. While Hamas is murdering Israelis and launching rockets into Israel, the committee has been rendered helpless by its own precedents. The time for deliberation is over. I request that the Foreign Relations Committee begin consideration of the Stand with Israel Act as soon as possible. We must clearly demonstrate that we will not allow terrorists seeking the destruction of Israel to receive money from our own government.

Thank you for your prompt attention to this urgent situation, and I look forward to receiving your commitment to schedule committee action on this important legislation.

Sincerely,

Rand Paul, M.D.
United States Senator

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