Like many Jewish groups, the Zionist Organization of America released a statement expressing outrage at the kidnapping of three Israeli teens in the West Bank. Like the Israeli government, the group accused the Palestinian Authority of culpability in the matter given that it is now backed by Hamas as a result of a unity agreement between Palestinian factions. Also like the Israeli government, the ZOA criticized the Obama administration's decision to continue working with the PA even though the authority is now backed by Hamas. But the hawkish advocacy group used much stronger language in its condemnation of the Obama administration's approach, calling it “nothing less than a diplomatic Kristallnacht.” Monday's ZOA statement begins as follows: 'The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) has condemned the kidnapping by the Hamas terrorist group of three Israeli teenagers, as well as Mahmoud Abbas' Palestinian Authority (PA) for its obscene and incendiary newspaper cartoon celebrating and trivializing this horrendous, appalling crime.' 'The ZOA sees the kidnapping by the Nazi-like Hamas, the US- and European Union-listed terrorist group that calls in its Charter for the murder of Jews, as underscoring the anti-peace nature of the PA, which recently formed a new unity regime Hamas. The ZOA also renews its criticism of the Obama Administration for not cutting aid to and ending diplomatic relations with the PA for forming this alliance with Hamas. It is nothing less than a diplomatic Kristallnacht that the Obama Administration has embraced the Hamas/Fatah terrorist alliance and publicly announced that they will continue funding the PA to the tune of some $500 million annually.'
