01 April 2011
A bipartisan congressional letter condemning Palestinian incitement of violence against Israel has garnered 46 signatures from members of both houses of Congress. The letter, circulated by Representatives Steve Rothman (Democrat) and Steve Austria (Republican)) urges President Obama to pressure the Palestinian Authority to eradicate terrorist elements, join peace negotiations with the Israelis and root out "all vestiges of incitement." Twenty-seven senators also endorsed a companion letter in the upper chamber.

"We respectfully request that you do everything possible to urge [Palestinian] President Abbas to root out terrorism, return to negotiations without preconditions, earnestly work toward peace with Israel and slam the door on any effort to deal with final status issues at the United Nations," the lawmakers wrote, adding: "As part of that, president Abbas must fully renounce any and all Palestinian incitement against Israel and the Jewish people."

The letter comes in response to the terror attack on a Jewish family living in Itamar, in the West Bank, and the deadly bomb attack near Jerusalem's central bus station in March.