Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee blasts Palestinians for avoiding negotiations and undermining hopes for peace

Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee blasts Palestinians for avoiding negotiations and undermining hopes for peace

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the following statement at a briefing on Israel’s security requirements for defensible borders:

 

“We stand at a critical moment with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

 

“For over two years, the current Israeli government, like its predecessors, has relentlessly pursued peace with the Palestinians, making unprecedented concessions and offering to negotiate anywhere and anytime. In contrast, for over two years, Palestinian leaders, like their predecessors, have sought every excuse to avoid making progress on achieving a negotiated solution. Instead, they are undermining hopes for peace by pursuing a unilateral course that includes seeking recognition of a Palestinian state by foreign governments and by the United Nations, as well as seeking the adoption of anti-Israel resolutions by the UN Security Council and Human Rights Council.

 

“Palestinian leaders, from Abu Mazen on down, also continue to refuse to take the basic step of recognizing Israel’s right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state. And the Palestinian leadership continues to fail to meet its commitments, including stopping, once and for all, anti-Israel and anti-American incitement.

 

“The real-world consequences of this incitement were demonstrated last month, when 5 members of Israel’s Fogel family, including a three-month-old baby, were murdered. These consequences were shown again by the attack near Jerusalem’s central bus station, which killed a British woman and wounded dozens of innocent Israelis. We must make clear to the Palestinians that they have to choose between good relations with the United States and good relations with Hamas.

 

“Indeed, the Administration should finally implement U.S.law and make clear to Palestinian leaders that the U.S. will no longer support them until they fully meet their commitments, stop unilateral measures, put an end to incitement, and recognize Israel’s right to exist as a democratic, Jewish state. We should strongly oppose efforts to seek UN recognition of a Palestinian state. Finally, we must make clear that with respect to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, America’s top priority remains ensuring Israel’s continued security. Israel cannot rely on the Palestinians for its security.

 

“America and Israel love and seek peace, but peace without security is no peace at all.”