The United States would have to halt millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority if a Hamas-led government comes to power and refuses to renounce "terror," a senior U.S. diplomat in Jerusalem said Friday. Jacob Walles, the U.S. consul-general in Jerusalem, said the U.S. would not deliver aid to terror organizations, members of terror organizations or ministries controlled by people belonging to terror organizations.
The United States, the European Union and Israel all consider Hamas to be a "terrorist" group.
The U.S. gave the Palestinian Authority $400 million in direct aid last year and several million more through various U.N. bodies, Walles said, according to the AP. Some of the money was handed directly to Palestinian ministries. "I don't see how we would do that if those ministries were controlled by Hamas," Walles conveyed.
"At this point, Hamas has to make a choice. The onus is on them," he added. "If you want to be part of the political process ... you need to recognize Israel, you need to disarm and you need to renounce terror and violence. The choice is theirs."
Former President Jimmy Carter, in an interview with The Associated Press, also said Friday that "United States law would require that the money would be cut off if Hamas is in the government, so that's a foregone conclusion." However, he said Washington should find other ways to channel funds to the Palestinians "so that the people can still continue to have food and shelter and health care and education."
The European Union also issued stern warnings Friday of freezing aid to Palestinians. "It is obvious that the EU would never countenance funding a regime that continued an armed fight against Israel," said Ignasi Guardans, a Spanish member of the EU parliament.
Meanwhile, thousands of activists from Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party demonstrated in the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Friday, burning abandoned cars, shooting in the air and demanding corrupt leaders resign after their devastating election loss to Hamas movement. Some 1,000 angry party activists, including 100 gunmen, drove by Abbas' Gaza residence, although he was not home at the time.
