Ron DeSantis: End Funds to Palestinian Authority Due to Hamas

U.S. Rep. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., continued to call on the Obama administration on Monday to cut off funding to the Palestinian government as tensions continue to rise in the Middle East.

With so many crises enveloping the Obama administration, why is the State Department so intent on continuing to fund the Hamas-Fatah unity government? DeSantis asked. Hamas has long been officially designated as a terrorist organization, yet the administration feebly claims that the unity government is simply a technocratic government in which Hamas doesn't exercise "undue" influence -- even though a torrent of terrorist rocket fire is raining down on Israeli civilian population centers. This position is not only at variance with common sense, it is contrary to the public position of 88 out of 100 U.S. senators, not to mention the wishes of the American people.

Hamas not only engages in terrorism but actually uses its own civilians as human shields. The contrast is stark: whereas Israel is engaging Hamas in order to protect its own people, Hamas is willing to endanger civilians in the Gaza Strip if it means being able to launch more terror attacks and to score more propaganda points, DeSantis added. The U.S. taxpayer should not be forced to underwrite Hamas' campaign of terror.