May 10, 2006
By Nathan Guttman

While the US House of Representatives is getting ready to vote on the bill limiting aid to the Palestinian Authority, Jewish groups are sending mixed messages to members of congress regarding the bill.

The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), the largest pro-Israel lobby in the US, circulated Monday a memo among members of congress in favor of the bill, known as The Palestinian Anti Terrorism Act of 2006. Under the headline "Vote Yes," AIPAC leaders write: "We strongly support this legislation and urge you to vote for it."

In the memo, AIPAC answers "Frequently Asked Questions" about the bill and tries to address concerns that might rise about the language the bill uses on issues of humanitarian aid, ties with moderate Palestinians and US policy towards the Palestinian Authority.

"The goal of this legislation is not to punish the Palestinian people but to make clear that the United States will not support a Palestinian government seeking the destruction of Israel," the AIPAC memo states in response to the question if the proposed bill does not punish the Palestinians for their vote in the January elections.

Jennifer Cannata, a spokesperson for AIPAC, said that the organization "sent out the memo as a resource to members of congress and staffers on the legislation."

In an unusual move, the AIPAC memo was countered Tuesday by a memo sent to members of congress by another Jewish group - Americans for Peace Now (APN). The APN letter takes on AIPAC's answers one by one and claims they do not reflect correctly the language of the legislation which members of congress are expected to vote on. "Unfortunately, the AIPAC "FAQs" sheet contains a number of serious inaccuracies and misrepresentations about the bill and its potential impact," APN's letter reads. Lewis Roth, Assistant Executive Director of the organization, acknowledged that it is unusual for one Jewish group to counter the opinions of another, but he stressed that "the stakes are so high," that the group decided to act.

Other American Jewish groups known for their dovish approach are also lobbying congress against the proposed language of the anti-Hamas legislation. The Israel Policy Forum (IPF) sent an email to members of congress urging them to vote against the bill, in its current version, and Brit Tzedek V'Shalom also sent a similar letter to the lawmakers, as well as asking its 34,000 members to mobilize against the bill.

Israel is not directly involved in the debate over the bill, though it has voiced support for the principles of not providing funds to Hamas, demanding that Hamas adhere to the requirements of the international community and at the same time preventing a humanitarian crisis in the Palestinian territories.

Israel did not call for severing all aid to the Palestinians and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni was quoted Wednesday as supporting the Quartet's decision to form a mechanism which will supply funds to the Palestinians. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is expected to discuss the issue of aiding the Palestinians when he speaks to both chambers of congress in two weeks. He will also meet with a group of Jewish leaders while in Washington.

The anti-Hamas bill was expected to be brought to the floor for a vote next week, after passing a procedural hurdle at the House Judiciary Committee. The administration is trying to modify the bill before the vote and favors a more moderate version, similar to that which has been introduced in the Senate.