Why is the U.S. Funding the Palestinian Authority?

The United States gives the Palestinian Authority hundreds of millions of dollars, and the PA teaches its people to hate and kill Americans and Israelis.

Take, for instance, the teachings of Ahmed Abdul Razek, a preacher on official Palestinian TV.

A recent message includes the statement, "A divine blow will be dealt soon to the U.S. and Israel. By Allah's will. The believers will rejoice with Allah's victory."

Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch says Palestinian leaders sanction such teachings.

"We're talking about things coming from the official Palestinian Authority. We're not talking about fringe, we're talking about official Palestinian Authority," he said.

Some Americans were shocked when a roadside bomb killed three U.S. officials in Gaza last month.

But Marcus says that's what happens when Palestinian TV constantly hammers the message that America is the enemy.

"The killing of the three Americans in the Gaza Strip was not coincidental," Marcus said. "The Palestinians have been taught hatred of the United States for so many years, I think it was just a matter of time. In fact, it should have probably happened sooner, based on the hatred that they have toward the United States."

Much of the hate propaganda is aimed at children, encouraging them to join the Shahada, which means "to die for the cause."

A video clip from a Palestinian program says, "Shahada is a very, very beautiful thing. Everyone yearns for Shahada. What could be better than going to paradise?"

Marcus says that this kind of teaching is specifically geared to getting children to hate Israel from an early age.

"They're very interested that the young children, even pre-schoolers, will hate Jews and Israelis, even before they've left home," he said.

A music video glorifying a boy who joins the Shahada against Israel has been blamed for the deaths of several young boys in suicide attacks against the U.S.

The video says, "I long to approach, how sweet is the Shahada, when I embrace you my land."

And on a Palestinian talk show, young people discuss how great it would be to die fighting Israel.

Over the past 10 years, Washington has handed the Palestinian Authority $1.2 billion in aid. And the White House has requested $75 million in direct aid for the Palestinian Authority for next year.

But now some members of the Senate Appropriations Committee want the funding to stop.

Subcommittee Chairman Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA) said, "I found these videos to be absolutely shocking. Absolutely shocking."

Specter also expressed his displeasure at members of the State Department's Near Eastern Affairs Desk, which is responsible for the aid given to the Palestinians. On the hot seat was deputy assistant secretary of state David Satterfield, who defended the money transfers.

Satterfield said, "We believe that that decision was appropriate. We believe that those monies are accountable, fully, and that they went to purposes for which they were intended."

Dr. Hassan Abdul Rahman, chief representative of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority in the U.S., spent most of his time before the subcommittee blaming the Israelis for the hatred Palestinians feel toward Jews. He denied that the propaganda campaign had official Palestinian Authority backing.

"We do not support suicide bombers," Rahman said. "We, the Palestinian Authority, made itself very clear on this issue over and over again."

But here's what millions of Palestinian are seeing on official Palestinian TV:

"Blessings to he who donned a belt of explosives on his body or his sons and went among the Jews crying, 'Allah Akbar'."

Marcus says the U.S. government is squandering an opportunity to score a major blow against terror.

"The bottom line is if you are giving hundreds of millions of dollars to the Palestinians, you have real leverage -- you have political leverage, you have financial leverage -- why isn't the United States using that leverage? The United States has to tell the Palestinians, 'You're not going to get a penny for any project until you eliminate hatred of America, hatred of Israel, racism (and) anti-Semitism."