America for Arabs

Hillary challenged on Palestinian aid

By Herb Jackson

JewishWorldReview.com | (MCT)

ASHINGTON — A House subcommittee challenged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday for seeking the flexibility to support a potential Palestinian coalition government that she acknowledges may never materialize.

The stumbling block for Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., and several other Democrats and Republicans on the subcommittee that funds the State Department was whether members of the Iranian-backed Islamic [terrorist] group Hamas could end up in a government that gets U.S. aid.

Rothman also questioned the $840 million for Palestinian humanitarian relief in the $7.1 billion supplemental spending request before Congress. Rothman has criticized a United Nations-backed Palestinian relief group for alleged connections to Hamas.

"What new mechanisms do you and your magnificent staff plan to make certain no Hamas member gets humanitarian aid?" Rothman said.

Clinton said the relief group has agreed to strong oversight, including employee background checks and providing staff lists to the United States and Israel.

"We intend to hold any entity that receives American aid to a very high standard," Clinton told Rothman.

Clinton also said the administration was trying to encourage the Mideast peace process and "would only work with a Palestinian Authority government that unambiguously recognizes Israel" and denounces violence.

OK. What about incitement? What about no Israel on maps? What about their motto about killing every Jew?

She said there have been discussions in Cairo about allowing some Hamas ministers in a unity government, and the State Department would like the flexibility to support such a government, but that federal funds would not support Hamas or any entity controlled by Hamas.

"We doubt there will be such a unity agreement, but we don't want to bind our hands," Clinton said.

Several subcommittee members said they would try to write the bill stipulating that the United States would not support any government with Hamas ministers.

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