Taking Aim at Hamas and Palestinian Authority, Ted Deutch Backs Israel

Former state House Majority Leader Adam Hasner, who is running for the Republican nomination to take on Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, is not the only political figure from Florida condemning the Palestinian Authority joining with Hamas to form a unity government. So is Democratic U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch who was in Tel Aviv on Thursday with a bipartisan congressional delegation to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"Yesterday, we learned of a purported agreement to form a unity government between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, a terrorist organization that intentionally and willfully targets Israeli civilians, said Deutch and the other congressmen in a statement. "This is a time for clarity. The Palestinian Authority has chosen an alliance with violence and extremism over the democratic values that Israel represents. The United States should not aid an entity whose members seek the destruction of the State of Israel and continue to fire rockets and mortars at innocent Israeli children. If the Palestinian Authority follows through on this decision, American law dictates that U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority will end.

"In our meeting with the prime minister, we reaffirmed our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of Israel and to supporting Israel's efforts to achieve real, lasting, and secure peace with the Palestinian people, added the congressman.