Palestine calls US Congressional Hearing biased towards Israel

Ramallah: In a recent hearing by the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia, Palestinian officials have criticized the proceedings, labelling them as "misleading and unfair."

The focus of the discussion was the implementation of the Taylor Force Act, a 2018 law prohibiting US financial aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA), alleging that the PA supports violence against Israelis.

The hearing, led by Republican Representative Joe Wilson, accused the Palestinian government of operating a "pay-to-slay" system, where Palestinians are purportedly rewarded for killing Israelis. However, Palestinian officials vehemently denied these allegations, describing them as "totally untrue" and "misleading."

One major point of contention was the absence of Palestinian representation at the hearing. Palestinian officials claim that the organizers displayed bias by only inviting supporters of Israel to present their views. The officials argued that this one-sided approach revealed a lack of balance and fairness in addressing the complex issues surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Qaddura Fares, the Palestinian minister of detainees’ affairs, emphasized that the allegations were baseless. He explained that the welfare payment system, criticized as part of the "pay-to-slay" accusations, operates in accordance with Palestinian law. The government is obligated to provide financial support to families who lose their breadwinners due to actions by Israel as an occupying state.

Palestinian officials criticized the hearings for relying solely on information from Israel and its supporters in the US, emphasizing the need for a more balanced approach that includes Palestinian perspectives. The officials contended that the failure to invite them to present their side of the story undermined the credibility of the proceedings.

Wasel Abu Yousef, a senior Palestine Liberation Organization official, accused successive US administrations and Congress of covering up Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people. He argued that instead of promoting peace and security for both sides, these entities often shield Israel from accountability.

The ongoing conflict and the recent hearing have brought attention to the plight of Palestinian prisoners. According to Fares, there are approximately 5,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, including 1,200 administrative detainees held without charge or trial and 170 children under 18. Israeli authorities have been criticized for imprisoning Palestinians for nonviolent actions, such as raising a Palestinian flag or participating in anti-occupation protests.

Jibril Rajoub, a senior Fatah official, underscored the sensitivity of the issue for the Palestinian people. He stated that the support for families of martyrs and detainees would only end with the termination of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. Rajoub accused some members of the US Congress of prioritizing the continuation of the Israeli occupation over equitable peace between the two peoples.