The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America protested President Bush’s decision to waive Congressional restrictions to directly transfer $150 million to the Palestinian Authority
U.S. aid money is typically not transferred to the PA directly, but rather channeled through the UN and other non-governmental organizations, in an effort to keep money out of the hands of terrorists. Citing the need to secure loans, President Bush authorized the direct transfer of a portion of the $500 million earmarked for the Palestinians to the PA.
UOJCA Director of Public Policy Nathan Diament stated:
“In light of the PA’s continued inability to reform its security services, clamp down on anti-Israeli incitement in its educational system, and similar shortcomings which would justify the unrestricted release of such funding, we strongly protest the President’s decision to waive the Congressional restrictions on direct aid transfers. The restrictions were put in place to ensure that the money reaches those who need it the most and not to fund terrorist activities against Israel. At this time the Palestinian Authority has not shown its ability to clamp down on anti-Israel activities, and we therefore see no reason to release these funds. The Orthodox Union urges Members of Congress to alter the regime for these funds so that such restrictions cannot be waived by the President.”
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RELATED STORY FROM ARUTZ-SHEVA:
OU Under Pressure for Abstaining in ‘PA State’ Vote
by Hillel Fendel
(IsraelNN.com) The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA) endorsed last week, for the first time, a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict – and member-organization Orthodox Union (OU) abstained.
Representing 14 national American Jewish groups and 125 local American Jewish community relations councils, the JCPA called for the American Jewish community to “affirm its support for two independent, democratic and economically viable states – the Jewish state of Israel and a state of Palestine- living side-by-side in peace and security.”
The abstention by the Orthodox Union, one of the 14 member national organizations, aroused great opposition in Israel’s national-religious camp. Representatives of this camp who asked why the OU did not actively oppose the creation of a Palestinian state in the Land of Israel were informed by the OU that it had “informed the JCPA of our intention to file a formal, written dissent from the portions of the resolution with which the OU disagrees.”
I think the last line of his statement is “crossing the red line”. It is one thing for a Jewish orginazation to express its concern over governmental decisions, but to suggest how the power should be divied up within the govt. smacks of “moreid b’malchus” and would appear to not be in consanance with the hanahagah that we are supposed to maintain under shiabud malchiyos. I would be very interested to know if any Rabbonim reviewed the statement before its release.
The headline looks like it’s saying that the OU protests help the transfer of $ to the PA.