Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., holding a news conference to support H.R.890, the “Tom Lantos Justice for Holocaust Survivors Act” in Washington D.C, June 7 2012. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call via Getty Images)
(JTA) — The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed a bipartisan resolution condemning anti-Israel and anti-Semitic incitement in the Palestinian Authority.
The resolution, sponsored by Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and Rep. Ted Deutch, D-Fla., ranking member of the subcommittee, passed Monday.
“The House has sent a clear message to the Palestinian leadership that its anti-Israel incitement causing so much of the recent tension, violence, and terror will no longer be tolerated,” Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement issued after the resolution vote. “There should be no doubt that the Palestinian Authority sets the tone with its incitement, resulting in the recent wave of attacks that we’re seeing against innocent Israeli civilians.”
Deutch said following the vote that the recent wave of terror attacks in Israel “is a direct result of incitement by Palestinian leaders accusing Israel of changing the status quo on the Temple Mount.”
“These false accusations send a dangerous message that violence and acts of terrorism are acceptable and even justified,” he said. “It is well past time for President Abbas to stand up and condemn all acts of violence, rather than encouraging violence by glorifying terrorists and teaching children to view Israelis as animals.”
