Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) said on Wednesday that she was concerned about an agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Hamas to form a unity government.
The once rival Palestinian political factions announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a unified government, disrupting U.S.-backed peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
“This is an unwelcomed development and is not constructive,” Granger, the chairwoman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, said. “Not only does this action potentially derail any hope of a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, it puts in jeopardy future U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority….”
The Israeli government halted peace talks on Thursday due to the unity agreement. Representatives of the Israeli government said they object to any participation in the process from the Islamic militant group Hamas.
“This is an irresponsible path forward, and this agreement should be abandoned immediately if the Palestinian Authority is serious about the peace process,” Granger said.