Words Have Consequences

Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies Elliott Abrams argued that incitement by Palestinian leaders and media—not poverty and hopelessness—has been the motivating forces behind recent violence against Israel.

His recommendations:

• First, the United States should close the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington and not permit the opening of a Palestinian Authority (PA) office until the incitement stops.
• Second, if all funding for the PA cannot be stopped, the United States should try to stem the corruption that is rife in the PA. The United States can demand investigations, or make investigations a condition of spending appropriated funds.
• Third, the United States should keep track of who is doing the incitement, by name, and be sure they are barred from getting visas at least for a period of time.