Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  July 8, 2011

CONTACT: Hannah Loy 202-225-2315 or Penny Pew 928-308-2033

GOSAR ISRAEL AMENDMENT PASSED BY HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Amendment Prohibits Any Military Assistance to Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Iran, Hamas, or Hezbollah

On July 7, 2011, the United States House of Representativespassed, by unanimous consent, an amendment to HR 2219 sponsored byU.S. Congressman Paul Gosar, DDS (AZ-01), that prohibited the use of any military funds, or military assistance, to the Muslim Brotherhood, Hamas, Iran, and Hezbollah.  Gosar stated, “until the Muslim Brotherhood recognizes Israel’s right to peacefully co-exist, no U.S. military assistance should be provided to an Egypt controlled even in part by the Muslim Brotherhood.”  In a rare bipartisan vote, the House adopted the Gosar Amendment unanimously. 

These four entities pose a direct threat to the United States and its foreign policy objectives, United States troops abroad, and the United States’ most trusted ally in the Middle East‑Israel. Just last month Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated his nation’s policy calling for the complete elimination of Israel and justified this call for genocide by stating: “The reason for our insistence that the Zionist regime should be wiped out and vanished is that the Zionist regime is the main base for imposing oppression and harbors the main terrorists of the world.”

In the past six months, Egypt‑once the United States’ closest Arab ally, has undergone a regime change that has put into power the Muslim Brotherhood.  This organization poses an immediate threat to the United States’ relationship with Egypt, based on the history, ideology, and goals of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Last year, the United States provided close to $1.3 billion in aid to Egypt.  With the Gosar Amendment now part of the Military Appropriations bill for FY 2012, HR 2219, as long as the Muslim Brotherhood is part of the government of Egypt, no such funding can be provided.  

Said Gosar, “Any country or government that does not acknowledge Israel’s right to exist should not receive any U.S. aid whatsoever.” 

Gosar continued, “It is not just formally recognized states, however, we need to be concerned about.  History has shown that entities we consider terrorist fringe groups sometimes, through force, manipulation and popular vote, take over the state apparatus.   This happened in the Gaza Strip when Hamas (the Islamic Resistance Movement) won a plurality of legislative seats (44%) in the 2006 elections.   This is now a pattern that may be repeating with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.”

Gosar raised concerns on the Floor of the House, pointing out that “It is quite possible that extremist groups who seek the destruction of Israel are taking over the state operations in Egypt and parts of Libya.   Time will tell.  My amendment would ensure that we do not use our money, and military assistance, to help any entity that will not recognize the right of Israel to exist and to co-exist peacefully.  That includes the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.  No other nation on Earth except Israel has had to face systematic, ideological and persistent existential threats.”

With this amendment Congressman Gosar is reaffirming the Untied State’s foreign policy to Israel and the principle that the United States will not provide any sort of funding to any entity which threatens our interests abroad or the safety and security of our most loyal and steadfast ally‑Israel.

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