CNN: House votes to choke off aid to Palestinians

[Robbien]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House voted Tuesday to further choke off the flow of U.S. aid to the Hamas-controlled Palestinian Authority, drawing the displeasure of the Bush administration and dividing the pro-Israel lobbying community.

The measure, approved 361-37, would cut off aid to non-governmental groups working in the West Bank and Gaza except for health programs and would deny visas to members of the Palestinian Authority. It also would ban contacts with Hamas because of its classification as a terrorist organization and limit the president's authority to waive the aid bans.

The administration believes the legislation goes too far. The White House, which has already cut off funds for the Hamas-led government until it recognizes Israel's right to exist and renounces acts of terrorism, criticized the bill as unneeded and overreaching in its restrictions.

"The bill is unnecessary as the executive branch already has ample authority to impose all its restrictions, and it constrains the executive's flexibility to use sanctions," the State Department said in a statement.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/05/23/palestinian.aid.ap/

[One Honest Guy]

1. "displeasure of the Bush administration"

Oh, I bet. :sarcasm:

"dividing the pro-Israel lobbying community"

The only thing "pro-Israel lobbying community" is divided on, is on how to eliminate the Palestinians.

One side favors Nazi-like methods of forcible relocation and elimination of any unreceptive parts of Palestinians population. In their minds, the more of them turn out to be unreceptive, the better.

Other side favors a watered down version of the above only with slight variations here and there.

[oc2002]

2. again, we act against our national security by bowing to 'The Lobby'

and of course nobody is going to say it, but if you do not have any leverage with Hamas, why would they do anything we ask? Israel on the other hand is still suppling hospitals and such, we should too.