JCPA , AJCommittee urge P.A. freeze

[oberliner]

Two major U.S. Jewish groups urged the international community to maintain its freeze on aid to the Palestinian Authority. "The Jewish Council for Public Affairs is deeply troubled by the platform adopted by the new Palestinian unity government," said Steve Gutow, the executive director for the umbrella body for Jewish community relations councils in a statement issued Tuesday. "Provisions included in the new platform, and those very purposefully left out, place tall barriers on the path towards peace."

The new national unity government unites the Hamas terrorist group and the more moderate Fatah Party, but fails to remove the obstacles that led the international community to isolate the Palestinian Authority after Hamas' election last year. AJCommittee Executive Director David Harris praised the Quartet the diplomatic grouping of the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union that drives the Middle East peace process for maintaining its boycott. Harris also expressed disappointment with Norway for recognizing the government

"Norway undermines the very cause it purports to serve the quest for peace by strengthening the hand of the forces of extremism at the expense of the pragmatists," he said.

http://www.jta.org/cgi-bin/iowa/breaking/100745.html