The Hill News

Two bipartisan lawmakers are pressuring President Obama to get tough with Palestinian leaders over efforts to incite violence against Israelis.

In the wake of a terror attack against a Jewish family living in the West Bank, Reps. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.) and Steve Austria (R-Ohio) are circulating a letter to lawmakers, which was obtained by The Hill, that urges Obama to engage Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to eradicate terrorist elements, join peace negotiations with the Israelis and root out "all vestiges of incitement."

{mosads}"This must serve as a wake-up call that the current state of affairs is dangerous and unacceptable," Rothman and Austria wrote of the attack. "We respectfully request that you and your administration do all in your power to insist that President Abbas reenters peace talks, without preconditions, and demand that President Abbas eliminate all vestiges of incitement coming from his government, Palestinian entities, or officials."

The lawmakers' could add pressure to the White House, which is dealing with a number of other international crises, such as the nuclear disaster in Japan, the violent rebellion in Libya and other uprisings in Egypt and Bahrain. 

Members of Congress decided to renew their call for peace negotiations and limit incitement to resume after the Saturday terror attack, which claimed the lives of three young children and their parents. 

The Palestinian Authority has argued that it has cracked down on violence and said that calls to halt Palestinian incitement in hypocritical, considering saying that the Israeli governmen engages in similar activities.

White House press secretary Jay Carney said Saturday that the administration condemns "in the strongest possible terms" the terrorist attack and called on the Palestinian Authority to hold the perpetrators accountable. PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad released a statement Saturday that condemned the attack.

The lawmakers said that Palestinian government officials and media outlets alike are inciting violence against Israelis, citing a report from the Israeli prime minister's office. They urged the Obama administration to address the problem head-on.

"President Abbas must fully renounce any and all Palestinian incitement against Israel and the Jewish people," they wrote. "On March 8, 200! 9, a number of us sent President Abbas a letter calling on him 'to truly end anti-Israel and anti-Jewish incitement,' but clearly there needs to be further pressure."