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Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) National President Morton A. Klein released the following statement:
It is utterly despicable that on January 24, 2024 – the same day that Israel was burying and mourning 24 brave Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza the previous day – 49 Democratic Senators proposed an amendment endangering the Jewish state and rewarding Hamas’ massacre and raping of Jews, and rewarding all other Palestinian terrorists, by making it U.S. policy to create a “Palestinian state” on Israel’s lawful territory, ruled by a regime that pays Arabs to murder Jews. Such a dangerous state is opposed by over 80% of Israelis and Israel’s democratically-elected government. A “Palestinian state” would lead to more October 7ths; and is certain to be an empowered Hamas-Hezbollah-Fatah-PIJ-IRGC-Iranian-proxy terror state that is bent on Israel’s destruction and murdering Jews. Indeed, Palestinian Authority (PA) terrorist dictator Mahmoud Abbas and other PA leaders have made it clear that any Palestinian state would include the terrorist group Hamas. (See “ZOA Strongly Opposes Dangerous Biden Plan for Palestinian Authority (Pay-to-Slay) Terror Regime to Rule Gaza & Create a State,” Jan. 10, 2024.)
Moreover, the 49 Democrats proposed this amendment while PIJ, Hezbollah and the Houthis continue to launch missiles at the Jewish country of Israel; hundreds of thousands of Israelis continue to be displaced by these attacks; Hamas continues to hold and torture over 100 Israeli hostages; the Palestinian Authority incites murder and continues to pay terrorists to murder Jews; terrorists from the “West Bank” (Judea/Samaria) continue to perpetrate daily terror attacks on Jews; and virtually the entire (75-95%) Palestinian Arab population in Gaza and Judea/Samaria continues to support Hamas’ October 7th atrocities. Yet, the 49 Democrats’ proposed amendment says nothing about destroying Hamas, releasing Jewish hostages or stopping the terrorist Palestinian Authority’s pay-to-slay and terror incitement.
ZOA thanks and praises the two Democratic Senators, John Fetterman (PA) and Joe Manchin (WV), and all the Republican Senators who refused to sign on to the 49 Democrats’ amendment.
We are deeply ashamed that a Jewish Democratic Senator, Brian Schatz (Hawaii), sponsored this despicable, dangerous, pro-terrorist amendment, and that Jewish Democrats Michael Bennet (CO), Richard Blumenthal (CT), Ben Cardin (MD), Jon Ossoff (GA), Jacky Rosen (NV), Bernie Sanders (), Chuck Schumer (NY) and Ron Wyden (OR) are co-sponsors. The amendment is moreover bizarrely out-of-place and unnecessary: it amends an unrelated bill related to emergency medical care for veterans.
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