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Dem Rep Wants to Fund Palestinian Authority, Defends Muslim Brotherhood

Rep. Gerry Connolly (D., Va.) said last month that the United States should continue to provide funding to the Palestinian Authority even though members of the party are part of terrorist group Hamas.

Watchdog.org reports:

U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly, D- Va., defended U.S. funding of the Palestinian Authority, despite the fact that the authority includes members of Hamas, a group the U.S. says is a terror organization.

Connolly’s remarks, at a Sept. 28 Arab American Candidates Night forum, emphasized his determination to fight House of Representatives colleagues who might block the funding.

"When there are voices calling for the defunding of the Palestinian Authority, I oppose them, publicly," Connolly said. "In fact I signed a letter signed by Congressman David Price of North Carolina, also signed by Jim (Moran D- Va.), that said we are not going to defund the Palestinian Authority. That would guarantee an explosion in an already volatile situation. When there was a motion to close the Palestinian Authority office here in Washington or let it just be in New York, I opposed it and said it would be a terrible blow to diplomacy and not in U.S. interest let alone Palestine’s interest."

Connolly also bragged during the speech that he did not support ousting the Muslim Brotherhood from power in Egypt.

"I was the only member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who spoke out against the Egyptian military after the coup because they overthrew a democratically elected government whether we like it or not." Connolly said. "Either the United States supports democracy or we don’t. And even though our government may not like the Muslim Brotherhood, I may not like the Muslim Brotherhood, that governmentdid not mow down thousands of their fellow citizens in the streets of Cairo."