ARLEN SPECTER oar resnvan suniciany APPROPRIATIONS. Wnited States Senate Suauc Wom October 9, 2009 ‘The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton Secretary of State United States Department of State 2201 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20520 Dear Madame HH I write regarding the Fatah Conference held in the West Bank during the first week of August 2009. 1am deeply concerned with reports that the Conference served as a platform for participants to launch vitriol against Israel, incite violence and further impede the peace process. Among the more offensive examples which have been brought to my attention are reports that the venue featured posters of children brandishing weapons; that senior Fatah officials routinely referenced and glorified perpetrators of terrorism; and perhaps most discouraging, that leaders addressing the audience continuously championed the notion that Palestinians maintain the right to commit violence against Israel. This Conference could have been an opportunity for Fatah to repudiate hateful sentiment and help advance the peace process. Yet, it appears this opportunity was wasted as itis my understanding that the platform Fatah adopted at the Conference includes calls for increased international pressure on Israel and opposes any normalization of relations between Israel and Arab States. ‘The United States has allocated billions of dollars in aid to the Palestinians since the Oslo Accords of 1993, including over $800 million in the Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2009 (P-L 111-32). This support ought to be predicated on at least some level of assurance that the beneficiaries are committed to long-term peace. Accordingly, I urge you to explore the validity of the aforementioned reports regarding the Fatah Conference. If they are determined to be accurate, I further urge you to communicate disappointment to your counterparts in the Palestinian Authority and advise them that the Conference and similar events are counterproductive and will not be tolerated. I ‘Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely. Arlen Specter “ /y ha ta