Wexler Lauds Passage of Resolution Designating Hamas' al-Aqsa TV as a Terrorist Entity
Resolution Condemns Hamas and its al-Aqsa TV for Promoting Anti-Semitism and Terrorism Aimed at Americans and Israelis

(Washington, DC) Today, Congressman Robert Wexler (D-FL), a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a member of the Middle East and South Asia Subcommittee, praised the passage of House Resolution 1069, a resolution condemning Middle East media that incites violence against Americans and the United States and our ally Israel.

The resolution specifically calls on President Bush to designate al-Aqsa TV, which is run by the terrorist organization Hamas, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity.  Wexler, along with forty-one of his colleagues, including the lead sponsor of this resolution, Congressman Joe Crowley (D-NY), sent a strongly worded letter to the Bush Administration on June 27, 2008 urging the President to add al-Aqsa to the SDGT.

“Passage of this resolution in the Foreign Affairs Committee is critical to Congressional efforts to designate al-Aqsa as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity.  It is time for the Bush Administration to take the next step and add al-Aqsa to the SDGT and build on international efforts to have this television station removed from satellite providers broadcasting globally,” said Congressman Wexler.

“It is clear that al-Aqsa television serves as the chief mass media tool for Hamas to carry out fundraising, recruitment and its agenda of hatred, anti-Semitism, and terrorism,” said Congressman Wexler.  “The Bush Administration previously designated Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV as a global terrorist entity for its violent and extremist propaganda, and this same designation is absolutely warranted for al-Aqsa TV.”
 
Since its launch on January 7, 2006, al-Aqsa TV has been used by Hamas to glorify suicide bombing, hatred, extremism, and anti-Semitism.  Among the disturbing programming is a children’s show “Tomorrow’s Pioneers,” which is aired to breed new terrorists through hatred for Israel, Western nations, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, and moderate Palestinians.  Al-Aqsa also broadcasts a Bugs Bunny look-alike character used to indoctrinate children by inciting them toward hatred and violence by telling them that he “will finish off the Jews and eat them” and a Mickey Mouse look-alike that teaches terrorist doctrines to children.

In a reply to Wexler’s letter received from the State Department, the Bush Administration expressed that it “takes seriously the threat posed by media outlets owned or controlled by terrorist entities, particularly broadcasts designed to incite violence” and that it will “[urge] relevant governments to take appropriate action against broadcasters (and other entities) owned or controlled by terrorist entities.”  Additionally, the Department of the Treasury expressed that the Bush Administration “is intently focused on efforts to combat Hamas, including its instrumentalities and support network.”  

Click to read a full copy of the June 27 letter Congressman Wexler sent to President Bush.

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Congressman Wexler is Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee and a senior member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the House Judiciary Committee; and he also sits on the Financial Services Committee.

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