Renounce terror or lose aid, U.S. says

The U.S. gave the Palestinian Authority $400 million in direct aid last year.
JERUSALEM (AP) -- The United States would have to freeze millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority if a Hamas-led government comes to power and refuses to renounce terror, a senior U.S. diplomat in Jerusalem said Friday.
Jacob Walles, the U.S. consul-general in Jerusalem, said the United States would not deliver assistance to terror organizations, members of terror organizations or ministries controlled by people belonging to terror organizations.
The United States, the European Union and Israel all consider Hamas to be a terrorist group.
Hamas won an overwhelming victory in Palestinian legislative elections Wednesday, capturing 76 of 132 seats. The victory stunned the world and sent Israel, the United States and Europe scrambling to figure out how to deal with the sudden rise of the group responsible for dozens of suicide bombings against Israel.
The United States gave the Palestinian Authority $400 million in direct aid last year and several million more through various U.N. charities, Walles said. Some of the money was handed directly to Palestinian ministries.
"I don't see how we would do that if those ministries were controlled by Hamas," Walles said.
"At this point, Hamas has to make a choice. The onus is on them," he added. "If you want to be part of the political process ... you need to recognize Israel, you need to disarm and you need to renounce terror and violence. The choice is theirs."
Financial aid needed
Without Western financial aid, the bankrupt Palestinian Authority, which ran a $1 billion operating deficit last year, would almost surely collapse.
Foreign donors have poured about $1 billion annually into the Palestinian Authority, financing vast reconstruction efforts in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The United States is the single largest donor country, and along with Europe provides the vast majority of the foreign aid to Palestinians.