TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WITHHOLDS $65 MILLION FROM “PALESTINIANS”

republished below in full unedited for informational, educational, and research purposes:

Bravo. Money is fungible. This is $65 million that the “Palestinians” won’t have to give to jihad terrorists.

“Haley wanted a complete cutoff in U.S. money until the Palestinians
resumed peace talks with Israel that have been frozen for years. But
Tillerson, Mattis and others argued that ending all assistance would
exacerbate instability in the Mideast, notably in Jordan…”

Haley is right. Everything we do to oppose the jihad will “exacerbate
instability in the Mideast.” This veiled threat has guided U.S. policy
in the region for far too long. Essentially it amounts to bowing to
violent intimidation, which only encourages more violent intimidation.

“US withholds $65 million from Palestinian aid programs,” by Matthew Lee, Associated Press, January 16, 2018:

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Tuesday cut tens
of millions of dollars in money for Palestinian refugees, demanding
that the U.N. agency responsible for the programs undertake a
“fundamental re-examination,” the State Department said.

In a letter, the State Department notified the U.N. Relief and Works
Agency that the U.S. is withholding $65 million of a planned $125
million funding installment to the body. The letter also makes clear
that additional U.S. donations will be contingent on major changes by
UNRWA, which has been heavily criticized by Israel.

“We would like to see some reforms be made,” said State Department
spokeswoman Heather Nauert, adding that changes are needed both to the
way the agency operates and is funded. “This is not aimed at punishing
anyone.”

The State Department said it was releasing the rest of the
installment — $60 million — to prevent the agency from running out of
cash by the end of the month and closing down.

The U.S. is UNWRA’s largest donor, supplying nearly 30 percent of its
budget. The agency focuses on providing health care, education and
social services to Palestinians in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jordan,
Syria and Lebanon.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians either fled or were forced from
their homes during the war that led to Israel’s establishment in 1948.
Today, there are an estimated 5 million refugees and their descendants,
mostly scattered across the region.

The U.S. donated $355 million to UNWRA in 2016 and was set to make a
similar contribution in this year; the first installment was to have
sent this month. But after a highly critical Jan. 2 tweet from Trump on
aid to the Palestinians, the State Department opted to wait for a formal
policy decision before sending its first installment.

Trump’s tweet expressed frustration over the lack of progress in his
attempts to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians, and he
pointed the finger at the Palestinians. “We pay the Palestinians
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or
respect,” he said. “But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk
peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?”

Israelis accuse the U.N. agency of contributing to Palestinian
militancy and allowing its facilities to be used by militants. They also
complain that some of UNRWA’s staff are biased against Israel….

The U.S. plan to withhold some, but not all, of the money was backed
by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Defense Secretary James Mattis,
who offered it as a compromise to demands for more drastic measures by
U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, officials said.

Haley wanted a complete cutoff in U.S. money until the Palestinians
resumed peace talks with Israel that have been frozen for years. But
Tillerson, Mattis and others argued that ending all assistance would
exacerbate instability in the Mideast, notably in Jordan, a host to
hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees and a crucial U.S.
strategic partner….