FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 2, 2014

Today, the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America – the nation’s largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization – denounced the formation of a “unity government” by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

Nathan Diament, the Orthodox Union’s Executive Director for Public Policy, issued the following statement:

There is no question that Hamas – in words and deeds – is committed to the destruction of the State of Israel and to the use of terrorism to harm innocent Israelis.  Irrespective of polite statements to the press, Palestinian President Abbas has sadly decided to cast his lot with an entity that is recognized by the United States Government as a terrorist organization.

We therefore call upon the Obama Administration to withhold any recognition – formal or informal – of this new entity and to withhold American material support from its institutions as required by Federal law.  We further call upon other Western governments, who’ve long stated their objections to terrorism, to do the same.  This is a moment where people of good will must act in accordance with clear moral principles and oppose the ideology of hate and violence. We pray that such resolve will ultimately return Israelis and Palestinians to the path of peace.

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