Joe Pitts: “the pictures running with recent news reports tell the story: The Palestinians are in upheaval. Earlier this month…”

“the pictures running with recent news reports tell the story: The Palestinians are in upheaval. Earlier this month, hundreds of supporters of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah faction stormed parliament buildings in Ramallah, setting parts of them ablaze. This was in response to earlier Hamas-led attacks on Fatah security forces in Gaza. Madam Speaker, this escalating violence among rival Palestinian factions should teach the world a lesson. Elections alone do not make people democratic. The elections are important, but without the foundation of a civil society and certain values, they will not guarantee democratic freedom. The Palestinian people must also embrace basic democratic values and principles: the rule of law; freedom of speech; due process protections; respect for honest, civil debate; religious liberties. The list goes on. Continuing to choose extremism rather than fundamental civil reforms like these will only lead to further upheaval and hardship. ____________________”