The lawmakers say the group has, ‘under the guise of a civilian organization,’ worked to advance Hamas’ ‘global agenda of eliminating the State of Israel and the Jewish people’
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Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., arrives for a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
Add JewishInsider on GoogleIn a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sent on Monday, Reps. Andy Barr (R-TN) and Jefferson Shreve (R-IN) called for the U.S. government to designate the Palestinian Conference for Palestinians Abroad (PCPA), also known as the Popular Conference for Palestinians Abroad, as an affiliate of Hamas and a Specially Designated Terrorist group.
Israel, which describes the PCPA as the foreign representative body of Hamas, designated the PCPA as a terrorist organization in 2021. The Israeli government released documentation recovered from Hamas in Gaza allegedly showing links between the PCPA and the high-profile flotilla that last month attempted to break the Israeli blockade of Gaza, as well as anti-Israel demonstrations and other anti-Israel activity abroad.
“Under the guise of a civilian organization, it orchestrates violent demonstrations, anti-Israel flotillas, and other provocations aimed at destabilizing the region and advancing Hamas’s global agenda of eliminating the State of Israel and the Jewish people,” Barr and Shreve wrote in their letter to Bessent. “Ultimately, the PCPA is not a benign advocacy group, but a coordinated network engaged in propaganda, logistical support, and international mobilizations on Hamas’s behalf.”
The letter cites the documentation released by the Israeli government showing direct connections between the PCPA and former Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. It also highlights the links between the PCPA and the flotilla.
“At a time when the United States and its allies are working to promote peace and stability in the Middle East, we must confront organizations whose actions are the antithesis of those goals,” the letter continues. “The PCPA’s alignment with Hamas and its incitement of violence represent an acute challenge to regional and international security.”
The pair of Republicans urged Bessent to “swiftly” designate the PCPA and its affiliates as terrorists and impose sanctions in order to “disrupt the group’s capacity to bolster Hamas operations, prolong the war, obstruct the return of hostages, and perpetuate a cycle of violence in the region.”
Barr is a candidate for Senate in Kentucky, running for the seat of retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY). Both Barr and Shreve are members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.