Accusing the Palestinian Authority of sponsoring terrorism in Israel, New York City legislators on Thursday urged U.S. President George W. Bush to shut down the Palestinian observer mission at the United Nations.
The resolution said the city council "strongly condemns the murderous attacks against civilians in Israel and calls upon President George W. Bush to condemn the Palestinian Authority's support of terrorists and harboring of terrorists."
"As a government entity that shelters terrorist groups, the offices of the Palestinian Authority may pose a danger to New Yorkers," it said, according to Reuters.
The decision to close down the Palestinian mission on New York City's Upper East side can only be taken at the federal level, a State Department spokeswoman said. In July, when legislators began debating the resolution, Palestine Ambassador Nasser al-Kidwa dismissed it as "cheap politics."
The resolution disappointed some Arab-Americans. "We're very disappointed that the city council has decided to pass this one-sided resolution," said Monica Tarazi, New York director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. (Albawaba.com)
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