(WASHINGTON) – U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made the following statement today after Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Abu Mazen addressed the United Nations General Assembly. Statement by Ros-Lehtinen:

“Abu Mazen could have used the UN platform to agree to commence direct talks immediately with the Israeli prime minister in order to create lasting peace and security between Israel and the Palestinians.  He could have finally accepted some responsibility for the absence of progress toward peace, and for longstanding corruption and human rights violations in the West Bank by the PA. 

“Instead, Abu Mazen again put forward his dangerous unilateral statehood effort.  In doing so, he had the audacity to condemn democratic Israel for a ‘racist climate fueled by a culture of incitement,’ when PA media and schools continue anti-Israeli, anti-Semitic incitement and Palestinian jihadists continue to target innocent Israelis.

“The U.S. and other responsible nations need to face some inconvenient truths: Abu Mazen is not a partner for peace.  Abu Mazen and his cronies are part of the problem, not part of the solution.  It’s time to use our assistance as leverage to demand real pro-peace and anti-corruption measures by the Palestinian leadership.”

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