Media Ignoring Local Congressman's Resolution on Victims of Arab Terror

    The Philadelphia media have so far completely ignored an important Congressional resolution that has been proposed by U.S. Rep. Jon Fox, who represents the 13th Congressional District.

    The Fox resolution, House Concurrent Resolution 220, calls on the Clinton administration to demand that Yasir Arafat hand over Arab killers of Americans for prosecution in the United States.

    Ten American citizens have been murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists in Israel or the administered territories since the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993. Seven terrorists whom the Israeli government has identified as having taken part in the killings are living as free men in Yasir Arafat's Palestinian Authority territory.

    The Fox resolution, crafted along with Congressman Matt Salmon (R-AZ), has already picked up a wide range of bipartisan support. Seven of its co-sponsors are Democrats, eight are Republicans, among them Benjamin Gilman (R-NY), chair of the House International Relations Committee. In addition to Fox, Salmon, and Gilman, the co-sponsors are U.S. Representatives Jerry Weller (R-IL); Steve Rothman (D-NJ); Eliot Engel (D-NY); William Pascrell (D-NJ); Brad Sherman (D-CA); Charles Schumer (D-NY); Michael Forbes (R-NY); Dan Miller (R-FL); Robert Wexler (D-FL); Tom Campbell (R-CA); Steve Chabot (R-OH); Glenn Poshard (D-IL).

    Fox's resolution states that since Arafat has not honored any Israeli requests for the transfer of terrorist suspects to Israel, the U.S. should seek their transfer toAmerica, in accordance with the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act. The resolution notes that the Clinton administration "has established a precedence of United States intervention by demanding that Libyan leader Moammar Qadaffi transfer to the United States the Libyan terrorist suspected of bombing Pan Am flight 103. Therefore, the resolution concludes, "It is the sense of the Congress that the United States should demand that Yasir Arafat and the Palestinian Authority transfer to the United States, for prosecution, those residents of its territory who are suspected in the killings of American citizens."

    The issue of American victims of Arab terrorism should be of particular interest to our local media, since a Philadelphia woman, Rita Levine, was murdered by Palestinian Arab terrorists in 1989. Although only one terrorist carried out the actual attack on the bus, the group Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, which suggests there may have been other conspirators whom Arafat is sheltering. Furthermore, Arafat has publicly urged Israel to release the bus attacker, Abdel Hadi Ghneim. Arafat has praised Ghneim as "my brother warrior" and hailed his role "in the holy war and struggle for the liberation of Palestine." (Jerusalem Post, Oct. 11, 1994) Since the PA provides financial assistance to imprisoned terrorists, and since the Clinton administration provides assistance to the PA, it may well be that tax dollars from Philadelphians are literally ending up in the pocket of a man who murdered Rita Levine--a subject the Philadelphia media have not yet investigated.