(JNS.org) Top US lawmakers on the House Appropriations Committee on Thursday called on Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to end incitement and denounce the growing terrorist attacks against Israel, or face a cutoff in US aid. According to a letter signed by appropriations committee Chairman Rep. Hal Rogers (R-KY), ranking member Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), and member Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), US financial assistance to the PA is predicated on the “commitment to countering terrorism and pursuing a comprehensive peace with Israel.”

The U.S. currently provides $500 million in annual foreign aid to the PA. “We are profoundly concerned that the cycle of violent behavior threatens to spiral even further out of control,” the lawmakers said. “The situation clearly demands leadership, and we implore you to take decisive steps to stop the incitement and spread of violence.”