[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 86 (Wednesday, June 15, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H4199]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                             HAMAS FUNDING

  (Mr. PITTS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, a few days ago from this very Chamber, we 
heard the Israeli Prime Minister make clear that Israel seeks a 
permanent peace settlement with recognition of a Palestinian state. He 
reiterated that Israel seeks peace with its neighbors. Unfortunately, 
some of its neighbors do not feel the same way.
  The charter of Hamas clearly states that peaceful solutions are 
contrary to their beliefs. As a party, they stand for the destruction 
of Israel, they glorify the murders of women and children, and even 
mourn the death of Osama bin Laden. Despite these positions, Hamas was 
recently welcomed back in to the Palestinian Government, and Egypt has 
opened the border to the Gaza Strip.
  By no means should U.S. taxpayer money go to support these murderers. 
We cannot support a Palestinian Government that has no intention to 
live peacefully with its free and democratic neighbor. We must stop 
sending hundreds of millions of dollars in annual aid until all parties 
in the Palestinian Government recognize that Israel has a right to 
exist.

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