Washington, Jan 3: US President Donald Trump Wednesday threatened to cut aid money to the Palestinian Authority unless it resumes peace talks as he dismissed the global fury over his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The US was the biggest donor to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in 2016, giving over USD 368,000,000. It is also the largest overall supplier of financial support for the Palestinians. Trump last month recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite warnings from the Arab leaders, reversing decades of US and international policy on the holy city. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as their future capital. “We pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel,” Trump tweeted Tuesday night.
“We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?” asked the US president. Trump’s last month’s decision prompted Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to cancel a planned meeting with US Vice President Mike Pence in December, forcing him to delay his visit to the Middle East until later this month. Since the establishment of limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the mid-1990s, the US has committed more than USD 5 billion in bilateral economic and non-lethal security assistance to the Palestinians, according to a report.
According to the report, from 2008 to the present, annual Economic Support Fund assistance to the West Bank and Gaza Strip has averaged around USD 400 million. Much of this goes toward US Agency for International Development (USAID)- administered project assistance (through grants and contracts), and the rest toward budget support for the Palestinian Authority (PA).
‘Won’t be blackmailed after US threat’
Ramallah (Palestinian Territories): Palestinian leaders said Wednesday they will not be “blackmailed” after US President Donald Trump threatened to cut aid worth more than USD 300 million annually, his latest provocative move that could upturn years of careful diplomacy. Relations between Trump’s White House and the Palestinians were already tense after the US president’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last month. The December 6 announcement concerning the disputed city led Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas to say the United States could no longer play any role in the Middle East peace process. Trump’s threat in a tweet Tuesday to try to force the Palestinians into negotiations led to further outrage, though Israeli ministers lauded the move. The Palestinians rely heavily on international aid, with many analysts, including Israelis, saying such assistance helps maintain stability in a volatile region.
PTI