The City Council has voted unanimously to endorse legislation which is pending in both houses of Congress designed to close PLO offices in New York and Washington.
The resolution, which the Council adopted earlier this month, was co-authored by Council President Andrew Stein and the Zionist Organization of America. Based on legal research provided by Dr. Ken Kelner, ZOA’s Manhattan Public Affairs chairman, the resolution is reportedly the first legislative initiative of its kind in New York, according to the ZOA. Kelner obtained some of his information from the office of Rep. Jack Kemp (R. NY), who is sponsoring federal legislation (H.R. 2587) to close PLO operations in the U.S
The Council resolution supports pending federal legislation, specifically H.R. 2587 and a bill in the Senate (S. 1203), which would establish statutory authority to shut down PLO operations, and calls for official classification of the PLO as a terrorist organization which is committed to acts of terrorism against the U.S. and is committed to the destruction of Israel.
According to Marvin Ashendorf, director of ZOA’s Metropolitan Region, the Council’s resolution is part of a two-step initiative by the ZOA to expel the PLO from New York. He said the ZOA will also propose other actions.
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