The Democratic senators who signed the P.A. aid letter

We reported over the weekend that half the Democratic caucus signed a letter urging President Obama to cut off assistance to the Palestinian Authority in the wake of its reconciliation with Hamas unles Hamas swears of terrorism and recognizes Israel.

Here are the 27 29 signatories, including Joe Lieberman, who is independent, but who caucuses with the Democrats.

That’s just more than half the 53 senators in the caucus.

Nine Ten of the caucus’ 13 Jews are included: Levin, Lieberman, Lautenberg, Schumer, Boxer, Wyden, Cardin, Frankin, Blumenthal. The four three absent are: Michael Bennet (Colo.); Dianne Feinstein (Calif.); Herb Kohl (Wis.); Bernie Sanders (Vt.). (Bennet has now signed on.)

Senator Robert Menendez (N.J.)

Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (Pa.)

Senator Daniel Inouye (Hawaii)

Senator Carl Levin (Mich.)

Senator Max Baucus (Mont.)

Senator Joseph Lieberman (Conn.)

Senator Kent Conrad (N.D.)

Senator Frank Lautenberg (N.J.)

Senator Charles Schumer (N.Y.)

Senator Barbara Boxer (Calif.)

Senator Daniel Akaka (Hawaii)

Senator Barbara Mikulski (Md.)

Senator Ron Wyden (Ore.)

Senator Bill Nelson (Fla.)

Senator Debbie Stabenow (Mich.)

Senator Ben Nelson (Fla.)

Senator Mark Pryor (Ark.)

Senator Benjamin Cardin (Md.)

Senator Sherrod Brown (Ohio)

Senator Amy Klobuchar (Minn.)

Senator Jon Tester (Mont.)

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.)

Senator Al Franken (Minn.)

Senator Joe Manchin (W.Va.)

Senator Christopher Coons (Del.)

Senator Richard Blumenthal (Conn.)

Senator Claire McCaskill (Mo.)

UPDATE: Two more signatories:

Senator Michael Bennet (Colo.)

Senator Tim Johnson (S.D.)

Below the jump: The full letter.

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President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr.  President:

The decision of Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to form a unity government with Hamas – a designated terrorist group – threatens to derail the Middle East peace effort for the foreseeable future and to undermine the Palestinian Authority’s relations with the United States.

Hamas rejects peaceful efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and continues to call for the destruction of the State of Israel. Soon after this agreement was signed, senior Hamas official Mahmoud Zahar declared that "our plan does not involve negotiations with Israel or recognizing it." Hamas and other Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Gaza have also stepped up their smuggling of Iranian arms and increased their mortar and rocket attacks against Israeli civilians, firing more than 130 during the past month alone and nearly 300 this year.  Hamas’ response to the killing of Osama Bin Laden, condemning “the assassination and killing of an Arab holy warrior” is emblematic of Hamas’ ideology and underscores Hamas’ continued support for terrorism.

The United States should stand by its refusal to work with any Palestinian government that includes Hamas.  We welcome statements from the Administration recognizing that Hamas is a terrorist organization and insisting that it accept the Quartet conditions (of recognizing Israel’s right to exist, rejecting violence, and endorsing previous Israeli-Palestinian peace agreements).  We strongly support Secretary Clinton’s 2009 Statement that: “we will not deal with nor in any way fund a Palestinian government that include Hamas until Hamas has renounced violence, recognized Israel and agreed to follow the previous obligations of the Palestinian Authority.”

It is imperative for you to make clear to President Abbas that Palestinian Authority participation in a unity government with an unreformed Hamas will jeopardize its relationship with the United States, including its receipt of U.S. aid.  As you are aware, U.S. law prohibits aid from being provided to a Palestinian government that includes Hamas, unless the government and all its members have publically committed to the Quartet principles.  We urge you to conduct a review of the current situation and suspend aid should Hamas refuse to comply with Quartet conditions.

Ultimately, the legitimacy of any peace process must always be weighed against the assurances Israel needs for its security and the security of the region.  Hamas’ participation in the Palestinian government eliminates the trust and commitment to peace that must exist between the parties to move forward and therefore, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated, the choice is between “peace with Israel or peace with Hamas” because “there is no possibility for peace with both.”

As fellow Democrats, we thank you for your continued commitment to and investment in Israel’s security.   We urge you to make clear to President Abbas and the international community the United States’ opposition to a Fatah-Hamas unity government that does not fully accept the Quartet principles.  Such a government will prove fatal to the peace effort, as well as to efforts to establish a Palestinian state, and will severely harm relations with the United States.  The Palestinian Authority needs to get back to the negotiating table rather than pursue futile and harmful efforts to join with Hamas or seek recognition of Palestinian statehood at the UN.