US senators push bill to limit Palestinian aid

WASHINGTON, Mar 7: About a dozen senators sponsored a bill on Monday that would restrict non-humanitarian US aid to the new Palestinian government being formed by Hamas unless it renounces terrorism and publicly recognizes Israel's right to exist.

The bipartisan bill sponsored yesterday which is less sweeping than a companion measure in the House of Representatives, would allow food, medicine and other humanitarian aid that does not go through the Palestinian government to continue, as well as funding for democracy programs.

It would give President George W Bush more leeway to waive limits on diplomatic contacts and other restrictions than the tougher House version.

Hamas, which has been dedicated to Israel's destruction, won Palestinian elections in January over the Fatah party and is in the process of forming a new government.

''Both Sen Biden and I appreciate the need not to punish the Palestinian people for actions its future government may take,'' said Senate Republican Whip Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

McConnell, Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee and Sen Joseph Biden of Delaware, the Democrat on the the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, were among the bill's sponsors.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel lobbying organization, was expected to send members to Capitol Hill today to urge lawmakers to back both bills.

The House bill, which has not been endorsed by the Bush administration, would restrict non-humanitarian assistance through non-governmental organizations, cut diplomatic contacts with the Palestinian Authority and treat it as a terrorist entity.

The bill would also close the authority's offices in the United States and withhold US funds to the United Nations equal to the amount the world body provides the Palestinians.

The Senate bill makes more room for the administration to deal with the Palestinians and has somewhat less stringent requirements for the new government.

The Senate bill would restrict aid to the Palestinian Authority unless it is determined that no government ministry is controlled by terrorists. The Hamas government must also recommit itself to previous agreements with Israel, make progress toward dismantling any terrorist infrastructure and institute fiscal transparency.

REUTERS