Z STREET JOINS EMET IN THIS ACTION ALERT!
Action Alert:
The Time Has Come to Put an End to Military Aid to Egypt,
and Aid to the Palestinian Authority
This is a time of fiscal constraint for the US Economy. Yet, despite budgetary cuts we are being asked to make all over, we keep showering foreign aid to the Egyptian government, and to the Palestinian Authority. We do this despite the ominous warnings coming out of Cairo that the Muslim Brotherhood posed to dominate legislative elections scheduled for September; as well as to the Palestinian Authority, despite the fact that they have revealed their true colors when Khaled Mashal of Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah shook hands in Cairo on May 4th.
Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and asked to be connected to your Congressman and Senators and urge them to end military aid to Egypt, and U.S. Aid for the Palestinian Authority. Tell them we must not continue to throw away our taxpayers’ dollars on foreign governments who turn their backs on American values. Discuss with them the important reasons why the time has come to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority, and to end military aid to Egypt.
Ever since the January 25th revolution in Tahrir Square, EMET has been alone on Capitol Hill, calling for an immediate end to the military aid and arms sales to Egypt, or at least placing it on “temporary hold” to wait to see the result of the scheduled elections in September; as well as asking for an immediate cessation to the continuous flow of aid to the Palestinian Authority, and the training of their “police force” by our CIA, particularly since they have shaken hands with Hamas.
On Egypt, we have elucidated the risks of continuing to arm an uncertain Egypt including:
- The strength and organization of the Muslim Brotherhood as elections approach. The M.B. is widely recognized as the most efficiently organized and prepared party for elections. Despite claims in the western press, they have repeatedly called for the application of Islamic Sharia law in Egypt, an end to peace with Israel, as well as made overtures towards closer cooperation with Iran.
- The statements from many Egyptian Presidential candidates; including front runner Amr. Moussa, calling for the end to peace treaty with Israel.
-The polls that show that 60% of Egyptian Muslims seek Sharia law and 54% oppose peace with Israel.
- The failure of the interim government to close the Rafah border with Gaza, which was recently thrown open by Egypt.
-The failure to keep the Sinai free from terrorist infiltrators and arms smugglers, with recent reports indicating hundreds of Al-Qaeda terrorists now present in the peninsula.
- According to Wikileaked documents, the Egyptian military, despite billions in U.S. Arms aid, continues to perceive Israel, and not Iran, as its primary enemy, as it organizes its strategic objectives, trainings and war games around conflict with Israel, not Iran.
The recent thawing of diplomatic ties with Iran, and polls that show the 90% of the Egyptian people consider Israel one of the top threats to Egypt.
Regarding funding for the Palestinian Authority, we have continued to warn:
-That following the Fatah-Hamas Unity agreement, the transmission of U.S. aid funds to the Palestinian Authority represent a violation of U.S. law.
-That Hamas' ideology preclude it from ever making peace or entering good faith negotiations with Israel.
-That both Fatah and the Palestinian Authority continue to engage in incitement against Israel and Jews in general in Palestinian schoolbooks, and on Palestinian Authority controlled media, including television programs and websites.
-The Palestinian Authority continues to honor terrorists with street signs and public ceremonies, and pays salaries to jailed terrorists.
-That the Palestinian Authority has always backed America's enemies, from supporting Saddam Hussein in the 1st Gulf War, to street celebrations on 9/11, to public declarations of mourning and outrage over the death of Osama Bin Laden.
Despite all the evidence that U.S aid has provided no leverage, nor induced the Palestinian Authority to be more placable and willing to negotiate, the Middle East doyens remain entrenched in their position that the decades-long policy of funding must continue, despite the failure of results, and the worsening situation. They continue to insist that military aid to Egypt, and financial support for the Palestinian Authority buys the United States influence and allies among these regimes. They ignore the tragic lessons of the Shah's Iran in 1979, where billions in U.S. arms did not create a pro-western force capable of resisting the Mullahs in their efforts to establish an anti-western theocracy. Nor has millions in aid, and security assistance from the United States, built up a Palestinian Authority with the will or desire to provide security and prevent attacks against Jews. Instead money has gone to support and honor deceased suicide bombers as Palestinian national heroes, and to salary jailed terrorists.
Congress however is beginning to recognize these facts, and speak out against the established "wisdom." Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) has publicly said she would support an end to military aid to Egypt. She has also been vocal in calling for enforcement of the 2006 Palestinian Anti-Terrorism Act, which precludes funding a Palestinian Authority tied to Hamas, unless Hamas has acknowledge the right of Israel to exist and agrees to abide by previous agreements, which Hamas has not done, and will likely never do.
Senators Mark Kirk (R-IL) has also warned that military aid continuing requires that Egypt "keeps its commitments under the Camp David peace accords, allows safe passage through the Suez Canal and works to stem the flow of weapons into Gaza." Kirk also joined Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) in authoring restrictions on U.S to the Palestinian Authority. The Senate has also been active regarding funding to the Palestinian Authority, with 27 Democratic Senators, led by Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) writing to President Obama, urging him to take strong steps to see that U.S. funds do not reach Hamas. Other Representatives and Senators have also been vocal on this important issue.
But there is still more to do. The time has come to end military aid and arms sales to Egypt, until the results of the "Arab Spring" can be truly determined, especially following the upcoming spring elections. Will the Egyptian legislature be heavily influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood? Will the Egyptian President be selected from one of the many candidates calling for a return to aggressive relations with Israel? If so the time has come to permanently and unapologetically end military aid to Egypt.
For the Palestinian Authority, the time has long since come and passed. The U.S must cease all funding for a Palestinian Authority with ties to Hamas. It must end funding for a P.A which continues to violate agreements and perpetrate gross incitements to induce its citizens to murder Israelis and Jews, and which undermine the possibility of peace.
Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and asked to be connected to your Congressman and Senators and urge them to end military aid to Egypt, and U.S. Aid for the Palestinian Authority. Tell them we must not continue to throw good money after bad. Discuss with them the important reason why the time has come to cut funding to the Palestinian Authority, and to end military aid to Egypt, at least until the results of the upcoming elections become known.
Call or Write your elected official today! Tell them that the time has come to stop showering Anti-American regimes with American taxpayers' dollars. It does not buy us love or goodwill.
