Toronto, Canada, Tuesday, September 12, 2006 - Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas PM Ismail Haniyeh announced an agreement yesterday to form a Palestinian unity government. The article in Al-Hayat Al-Jadida makes it clear that the reason for this arrangement is the "resumption of [Western] aid".

 

"Western aid was stopped with the election of Hamas, because Hamas refused to renounce violence and recognize the state of Israel," said Alastair Gordon, president of the Canadian Coalition for Democracies. "To this day, the charters of both Fatah (PLO) and Hamas both call for the destruction of Israel through violence."

 

Were Canada to resume funding of the Palestinian Authority, it would be funding a government whose guiding principles are clearly stated in its governing charters:

 

 

"The Palestinian Authority has received billions in Western aid, while violence and incitement have grown dramatically," added Gordon. "If Canada resumes funding the PA while the Fatah and Hamas charters call for Israel's annihilation, and before there has been a lengthy period without attacks or incitement, then we are supporting a government whose words and actions do not even pretend to be interested in anything but the violent destruction of Israel and her people.

 

"Unconditional funding has rendered Palestinian society violent, dysfunctional and dependent. We now have a chance to introduce incentives that may start to change that tragic situation."