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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Obama asks for change in US law on Hamas - report |
| 2009-04-28 |
| [Beirut Daily Star: Region] US President Barack Obama's administration has asked Congress to allow continued aid to Palestinians, even if officials linked to Hamas become part of the government, The Los Angeles Times reported Monday. The move has alarmed congressional supporters of Israel, the paper reported. Under the existing law, any US aid would require that the Palestinian government recognize Israel, renounce violence and agree to follow past Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Hamas does not meet these criteria. The daily said the administration had requested the changes this month as part of an $83.4 billion emergency spending bill that also contains funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The bill would also provide $840 million for the Palestinian Authority as well as for rebuilding Gaza after the Israeli military assault earlier this year. But the Obama administration is not sure how to deliver the aid to Gaza because of the restrictions on dealing with Hamas, the report said. The Palestinians are watching for signs that the new Democratic team at the White House might be more sympathetic to Palestinians than the administration of former President George W. Bush, The Times said. The paper quoted Republican Representative Mark Steven Kirk as saying that the proposal was like agreeing to support a government that "only has a few Nazis in it." US officials insist that the new proposal doesn't amount to recognizing or aiding Hamas, the report said. However, the request underscores the quandary faced by the Obama administration in its efforts to broker peace in the Middle East. Obama has repeatedly called for a separate Palestinian state. But negotiating a peace agreement will be difficult without dealing with Hamas, which won Palestinian elections in 2006, The Times said. Hamas, despite its election victory, was prevented from governing by Israel. |
| Posted by:Fred |