Support HR 278; Let Abbas Show He Means Business

On October 18, Representative Roy Blount introduced HR 278:

Urging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Chairman of his Fatah party, to officially abrogate the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction and terrorism against Israel, oppose any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and label Zionism as racism.

The actual language of the proposed bill is interesting for the background it provides on Abbas, who assures the world that he is ready for peace, but seems to be under the impression that most of what needs to be done falls on Israel's shoulders:

Mr. BLUNT (for himself and Ms. BERKLEY) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

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RESOLUTION

Urging Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Chairman of his Fatah party, to officially abrogate the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction and terrorism against Israel, oppose any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and label Zionism as racism.< style="font-weight: bold;">`It is not required of Hamas, or of Fatah, or of the Popular Front to recognize Israel.';

Whereas on February 9, 2007, President Mahmoud Abbas openly signed the Mecca Agreement with Hamas, a terrorist organization, which does not recognize Israel and calls `for confronting the occupation' of Israel;

Whereas in May 2006, President Mahmoud Abbas endorsed the `Prisoner's Plan', a document produced by jailed Palestinian terrorists, that calls for continued terrorism against Israel, does not accept Israel's existence as a Jewish state, and abrogates Palestinian obligations under the Declaration of Principles, signed at Washington, DC, on September 13, 1993, (commonly referred to as the `Oslo Accords'), and the 2003 Performance-Based Roadmap to a Permanent Two-State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (commonly referred to as the `Roadmap for Peace');

Whereas in 2007, there continue to exist 10 specific articles in chapter 1 of the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction, calls for the armed struggle and the armed revolution against Israel to continue, call for the prevention of Jewish immigration to Israel, oppose any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and label Zionism as racism; and

Whereas the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution opposing Israel and Zionism are the following:

(1) `Article (4): The Palestinian struggle is part and parcel of the world-wide struggle against Zionism, colonialism and international imperialism.';

(2) `Article (7): The Zionist Movement is racial, colonial and aggressive in ideology, goals, organization and method.';

(3) `Article (8): The Israeli existence in Palestine is a Zionist invasion with a colonial expansive base, and it is a natural ally to colonialism and international imperialism.';

(4) `Article (12): Complete liberation of Palestine, and eradication of Zionist economic, political, military and cultural existence.';

(5) `Article (17): Armed public revolution is the inevitable method to liberating Palestine.';

(6) `Article (19): Armed struggle is a strategy and not a tactic, and the Palestinian Arab People's armed revolution is a decisive factor in the liberation fight and in uprooting the Zionist existence, and this struggle will not cease unless the Zionist state is demolished and Palestine is completely liberated.';

(7) `Article (22): Opposing any political solution offered as an alternative to demolishing the Zionist occupation in Palestine, as well as any project intended to liquidate the Palestinian case or impose any international mandate on its people.';

(8) `Article (23): Maintaining relations with Arab countries . . . with the provision that the armed struggle is not negatively affected.';

(9) `Article (24): Maintaining relations with all liberal forces supporting our just struggle in order to resist together Zionism and imperialism.'; and

(10) `Article (25): Convincing concerned countries in the world to prevent Jewish immigration to Palestine as a method of solving the problem.': Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1) urges Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, who is also Chairman of his Fatah party, to officially abrogate the 10 articles in the Fatah Constitution that call for Israel's destruction and terrorism against Israel, oppose any political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and label Zionism as racism; and

(2) condemns the continuing existence of these articles as part of the Fatah Constitution. [emphasis added]

Based on the current language of the Fatah Constitution, there are some basic steps that Rice should insist Abbas himself take in good faith.

You can keep track of the bill's progress here.

There is a sample letter making the rounds that you can use to contact your Congressman:

Dear Congressman,

I hope you will co-sponsor H. Res. 758 calling for accountability from the Palestinians. The PLO Charter (Constitution) calls for incitement to violence and the destruction of Israel and its people. By co-sponsoring this resolution, you will make a statement that will express the opinion of millions of Americans against submitting to wanton calls in the Palestinian Constitution for the eradication of the state of Israel. This demand particularly applies to the upcoming Annapolis Summit that will ask for millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to go to the Palestinians and promises them statehood, while at the same time they continue to profess their underlying “death wish” for the state of Israel.

Rep. Blunt said, “As long as Mahmoud Abbas and the Fatah Party continue to promote the wholesale destruction of Israel, there can be no possibility for peace – whether in our time, or any other.”

As long as the Palestinian Constitution remains in effect in its current form, it is preposterous to assume that the Palestinians have any intention for peaceful coexistence.

Respectfully,

(Insert your name) _______________________

Contact info for your Congressman can be found here (email only), here (email/fax) and here (email/fax).

Technorati Tag: Israel and Annapolis and Roy Blount and Abbas and HR 278.