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Conservatives call for Congress to defund Palestinians across board

A group founded by former Vice President Mike Pence organized a letter from more than 60 activists, politicians and thought leaders.

U.S. Capitol
The U.S. Capitol building. Credit: Rarrarorro/Shutterstock.
U.S. Capitol
U.S. Capitol building. Credit: Rarrarorro/Shutterstock.

Advancing American Freedom (AAF) has urged the U.S. House of Representatives to stop sending money to “any Palestinian entity or person, whether government or non-government, whether direct or indirect, and whether military, political or civilian.”

In a letter sent on Friday, the 501(c)(4) organization founded by former Vice President Mike Pence, wrote: “We the undersigned demand the immediate and complete defunding of the Palestinians via the appropriations process underway this fiscal year.”

The group said that “the language in the relevant appropriations legislation, including continuing resolutions, composite appropriations bills and individual appropriations bills, must be clear, very specific, comprehensive and not able to be circumvented by unscrupulous bureaucrats.”

Among the signatories offering to assist “in any way to accomplish these objectives” were former U.S. Attorney General Ed Meese III; Robert Wilkie, the former U.S. secretary of veterans affairs; Ellie Cohanim, the former deputy special envoy to monitor and combat anti-semitism; and Morton Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization of America.

“The United States will not fund terrorist organizations like Hamas, that use whatever funding given to Palestinians to carry out terrorist operations and attacks like the one we just witnessed,” said AAF executive director Paul Teller. “Congress must demonstrate its unwavering support to Israel and cease funding the Palestinians.”

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