STATEMENT BY REP. ANDREWS ON APPARENT HAMAS VICTORY IN PALESTINIAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONS

In the wake of the apparent Islamic militant group Hamas' victory in Wednesday's Palestinian parliament elections, today I urge President Bush to refuse to participate in any negotiations with this new government unless and until they renounce terrorism.  While it has always been the policy of the United States of America to promote the democratic process around the globe, in this post-911 world, we should never negotiate with a government that does not aggressively work to combat terror, and we certainly should not involve ourselves with a government who is actively complicit in the proliferation of terrorism around the globe.

Although, the Palestinian people's election of Hamas to lead their government is attributed mostly to dissatisfaction with the former regime rather than a mandate for Hamas, comments by Hamas leaders indicating that the group has no plans to negotiate with Israel or recognize Israel's right to exist, coupled with Hamas' active support of terrorist acts, demonstrate that this group is not prepared to contribute to the ongoing peace process in that region.  For this reason, the United States should send a clear message to the Palestinian people that the democratic process brings with it responsibilities for each and every member of that democracy and that if the Palestinian people are truly committed to peace in that region, they will demand it from their newly elected leaders by requiring them to renounce terrorism.

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