U.S. Must Impose Severe Economic Consequences for UN’s Irresponsible Support for Palestinian Statehood Scheme, Ros-Lehtinen Says

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding the United Nations General Assembly’s vote today to adopt a resolution granting “Palestine” (the Palestine Liberation Organization) the status of non-member observer state at the UN.  Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“Abu Mazen, instead of condemning the Gaza rocket fire and negotiating with Israel for lasting peace, spent the past week congratulating Hamas for its efforts to murder Israeli civilians, while offering condolences for Hamas’s ‘martyrs.’  Now the UN’s vote to grant de facto UN recognition of a non-existent Palestinian state has pushed peace with Israel even further away. 

“It is regretful that so many nations supported this unilateral action by the PLO instead of endorsing a bilateral, two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.

“It’s crystal clear that Abu Mazen and his cronies are not partners for peace and do not value their relationship with the U.S.  The U.S must stand with our ally Israel and offer no U.S. taxpayer dollars and no political support for the PLO.  As other UN bodies will no doubt use General Assembly resolution as an excuse to grant membership to a non-existent Palestinian state, U.S. law is clear: UN agencies that grant membership to a Palestinian state lose their U.S. funding.  If the Administration again seeks to gut U.S. law and keep funding those reckless UN agencies, Congress’ response must be simple: No.”

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Israeli and Regional Security is Paramount to U.S. Interests, Ros-Lehtinen Says We Must Closely Analyze Our Foreign Policy Objectives In the Region and Scrutinize Every Taxpayer Dollar Being Spent

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the following statement today at a Full Committee hearing titled “Israel’s Right to Defend Itself: Implications for Regional Security and U.S. Interests.”  Opening statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“Two weeks ago, the Middle East again erupted, and Israel was forced to defend herself against the persistent and ongoing barrage of rocket attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian extremists.  Israel’s successful military operation, Pillar of Defense, eliminated Hamas’s top leaders and disabled several rocket launch sites depleting Hamas’s operational capabilities.  This is not just about specific actions by Hamas in Gaza but about a Palestinian Authority that does nothing to reign in Hamas and other Palestinian extremist groups, and allows intolerance and incitement to violence against the Jewish State to fester.

“There have even been public reports indicating that the Palestinian Authority has continued to pay the salaries of both Palestinian extremists in Israeli prisons, and pledged to pay for Hamas’ salaries if they were to enter into a power-sharing agreement with the PA.  And today, as we know, Palestinian leader Abbas plans to exacerbate the problem by presenting a bid for non-state membership at the United Nations instead of initiating direct talks with Israel in order to bring long lasting peace to the region.

“What will the day after the vote look like?  There must be consequences for Ramallah’s rejectionism and continued irresponsibility.

“The constant sound of sirens, as rockets from Palestinian extremists head toward Israeli towns and cities, is a sobering reminder of the imminent threats facing the Jewish State.  Israel is surrounded by rogue regimes and terrorist organizations that wish to wipe her off the map.  Fortunately, the United States and Israel have collaborated in developing the Iron Dome anti-missile system, which saved so many lives during the recent attacks.  I would be interested in hearing from our witnesses their thoughts on if and how this successful model can be replicated with other critical regional allies, such as Jordan, for future cooperative activities.

“We face serious challenges region-wide—from Iran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons capabilities, to the ongoing violence in Syria, to transitions region-wide.  The central questions I hope our witnesses will address in their testimony: What now?  Where do we go from here?

“Hamas has a lot of weapons left in its arsenal and intends to re-arm, with Iran providing weapons to be smuggled through the Sinai.  The Egyptian government has yet to crack down on arms smuggling through the Sinai or crackdown on the use of Sinai as a sanctuary for violent Palestinian extremist groups to launch rockets at Israel.  Yet, the Administration seemed to go out of its way to praise the Morsi government for making the ceasefire agreement happen.  According to news reports, Administration officials indicated off the record that President Obama was investing heavily in Morsi and views him as someone with whom the U.S. could do business. Of course, then Morsi immediately engaged in a massive domestic power grab, claiming virtually unlimited powers.

“What steps should the Congress take to hold the Morsi government accountable for its actions?  What further conditions should be placed on U.S. political, economic, and military support to Egypt?

“For example, one month after our embassy in Cairo was attacked, without any adequate protection from Egyptian authorities, the Obama administration requested a transfer of $450 million in cash assistance to Egypt.  This was met by strong Congressional opposition, but what more can we do?

“Earlier this year, the Obama administration decided to send economic aid to the Palestinians over Congressional objections.  This included the use of taxpayer funds for such dubious projects as: cash for work in Gaza, scholarships for Palestinian students, and office refurbishments and improvements to the PA agencies and ministries.

“In the last three years alone, the United States has provided over $2 billion in U.S. assistance to the Palestinians.  Yet, this did not serve as an inducement for the Palestinians to: act responsibly, to effectively combat extremism, to pursue sustained unconditional direct negotiations with the Israelis, or to abandon their unilateral statehood scheme at the U.N.  At a time when our own economic situation is in dire straits, should the U.S. be helping the Palestinians rebuild their economy and providing them with millions in hard-earned U.S. taxpayer dollars while Palestinian extremists  embrace violence and undermine the peace process?

“Finally, we cannot forget the existential threat that a nuclear Iran poses to Israel, U.S. allies, and national security interests in the region.  I am deeply concerned that the Administration’s foolish embrace of yet another round of negotiations will only embolden the Iranian regime.  Rather than embark on this dangerous and foolhardy course, we must accelerate and expand our sanctions—and work with likeminded allies to strengthen their bilateral sanctions regimes—to compel the Iranians to verifiably and permanently abandon their dangerous polices.

“As events unfold, we must closely analyze our foreign policy objectives in the region and scrutinize every taxpayer dollar being spent in this fragile economic environment to ensure that we are able to regain lost leverage and effectively pursue our national security objectives.”

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Increased Syrian Activity in the Western Hemisphere Poses a Clear and Growing Threat to U.S. and Regional Security, Ros-Lehtinen Says

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the following statement regarding Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister’s visits to the regimes of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ecuador.  Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“Almost a year after Ahmadinejad’s ‘Tour of Tyrants’ trip, it seems that the Syrian regime has followed suit and sent their Deputy Foreign Minister to meet with the tyrannical regimes of Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, and Ecuador. One state sponsor of terrorism after another continues to receive the royal treatment from these tyrants of Latin America. It is appalling, but not surprising, that these leftist pariah governments openly embrace violent rogue nations that support extremism worldwide.

“Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, who has been systematically imprisoning, torturing and murdering tens of thousands of his own people, has sent his envoy to Latin America in hopes of garnering support for his fledgling regime. The increased Iranian and Syrian activity in our own backyard poses a clear and growing threat to U.S. and regional security interests. These rogue states have seized the opportunity to create a platform to disseminate and legitimize their belligerent actions in order to further their cruel political agendas and oppress their own people.

“Chavez and his autocratic cohorts like Ortega, Correa, and the Castro brothers have seen fit to provide the Syrian and Iranian dictatorships with a lifeline to skirt sanctions while thumbing their noses at the U.S. and the rest of the world. It is essential that the U.S. impose stricter sanctions to tighten the noose around these sadistic tyrants and sanction any entity that continues to provide support to these designated state sponsors of terrorism.”

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The chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee will call on Congress to cut funding for the Palestinian Authority and for United Nations (U.N.) agencies that recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as a state, The Hill has learned. 

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) will call on lawmakers to cut the $600 million in annual funding for the Palestinian Authority as well as any funding for U.N. agencies that recognize it.

“It’s crystal clear that Abu Mazen and his cronies are not partners for peace and do not value their relationship with the U.S.,” Ros-Lehtinen says in a prepared statement. “The U.S must stand with our ally Israel and offer no U.S. taxpayer dollars and no political support for the PLO. As other UN bodies will no doubt use General Assembly resolution as an excuse to grant membership to a non-existent Palestinian state, U.S. law is clear: UN agencies that grant membership to a Palestinian state lose their U.S. funding.”

Ros-Lehtinen vocally opposed the Obama administration’s effort to restore $80 million in annual U.S. funding for the U.N.’s cultural agency, UNESCO, after it admitted Palestine last year. 

 “If the Administration again seeks to gut U.S. law and keep funding those reckless UN agencies,” she said in Thursday’s prepared remarks, “Congress’ response must be simple: No.”

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen to call for cutting UN, Palestinian funds over statehood vote

By Julian Pecquet – 11/29/12 03:11 PM ET

The chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee will call on Congress to cut funding for the Palestinian Authority and for United Nations (U.N.) agencies that recognize the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) as a state, The Hill has learned.

The U.N. General Assembly is expected to overwhelmingly recognize Palestine as a non-member observer state in a vote Thursday, following a multi-year lobbying campaign by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, also known as Abu Mazen.

Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) will call on lawmakers to cut the $600 million in annual funding for the Palestinian Authority as well as any funding for U.N. agencies that recognize it.

“It’s crystal clear that Abu Mazen and his cronies are not partners for peace and do not value their relationship with the U.S.,” Ros-Lehtinen says in a prepared statement. “The U.S must stand with our ally Israel and offer no U.S. taxpayer dollars and no political support for the PLO. As other UN bodies will no doubt use General Assembly resolution as an excuse to grant membership to a non-existent Palestinian state, U.S. law is clear: UN agencies that grant membership to a Palestinian state lose their U.S. funding.”

Ros-Lehtinen vocally opposed the Obama administration’s effort to restore $80 million in annual U.S. funding for the U.N.’s cultural agency, UNESCO, after it admitted Palestine last year.

“If the Administration again seeks to gut U.S. law and keep funding those reckless UN agencies,” she said in Thursday’s prepared remarks, “Congress’ response must be simple: No.”

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), the chairman of the Foreign Affairs panel’s Human Rights subcommittee, called for immediate repercussions.

“There needs to be a serious penalty imposed on a United Nations that has shown such anti-semitism and a disproportionate amount of attacks toward Israel itself,” Smith told The Hill.

Senators have yet to go so far.

A bipartisan quartet on Thursday unveiled legislation to cut off aid to the Palestinians if they use their new status to pursue criminal charges against Israel at the International Criminal Court. The bill would also shutter the PLO’s Washington office unless the president determines that the Palestinians are engaged in “meaningful negotiations” with Israel.

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, however, told The Hill that some senators are still working on retaliatory legislation.