In his opening statement at the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s hearing on Palestinian incitement on Thursday, ranking member Rep. Eliot Engel (D – N.Y.) put the onus for the recent escalation of violence in Israel on the Palestinian Authority, saying that “the Palestinians will never get their state on the backs of terrorism.”

“Our immediate goal must be to demand that those responsible end this senseless and lawless bloodshed. But it’s also important that we seek to understand why this violence has reared up now, while continuing to demonstrate unwavering support for our ally Israel. …

“It’s heartbreaking, I have to say, to wake up seemingly every morning to a new report of a stabbing or a shooting of an innocent civilian in Israel. I can only imagine what it is like for the victims and their loved ones, and no person anywhere should have to live with that kind of fear.

“And let me just say for people who have grievances and who feel that the government of Israel hasn’t done what it should do. Terrorism is not the answer. And I support a two-state solution, but the Palestinians will never get their state on the backs of terrorism. If they think they can use terrorism to get their state, they are sadly mistaken. And that has to be understood by everyone.

In his remarks, which are embedded below, Engel also condemned efforts to create any moral equivalence between Palestinian attackers and their victims, voiced support for Israel’s right to defend its citizens from terror, and clearly attributed the surge in Palestinian violence to “years and years of anti-Israel propaganda and indoctrination,” often by Palestinian Authority officials.

Engel concluded his statement by saying:

“Chairman Royce and I are circulating a letter to President Abbas, imploring him to repudiate this wave of violence and to stop the PA’s incitement of this brutality. So much depends on bringing a quick end to these attacks, because in addition to the horrible cost of life and limb, crises like this one play into a much bigger picture.

“With each drop of blood shed, the goal of a two-state solution becomes harder and harder to reach. Violence and terrorism will never be the foundation of a peaceful future. Palestinians need to put down their knives and guns and their leaders need to come back to the negotiating table with no preconditions. I sincerely hope—for the sake of Israelis and Palestinians alike—that President Abbas shows real leadership in the days ahead.

“For now, I think it’s important that we continue to speak out against the mayhem this Palestinian violence has brought to Israel. I look forward to hearing from our witnesses about what’s behind this recent violence, how it will be halted, and what if anything we can do to help reach that goal more quickly.

Following the hearing, the committee voted unanimously to condemn the Palestinian Authority’s incitement against Israel.

Earlier in October, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also condemned the “wild and mendacious incitement by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority,” and other Palestinian leaders, saying it catalyzed the current wave of Palestinian terror. This Monday, The Jerusalem Post reported that Jibril Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Football Association and a possible successor to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, called a terrorist attack in a Beersheba bus station that left one dead and 11 wounded an “act of heroism.”

In September, days before giving an address at the United Nations, Abbas declared that he would not allow Israelis to defile Jerusalem holy sites with their “filthy feet” and blessed “every drop of blood” spilled for the city.

[Photo: HFACDemocrats / YouTube ]