Obama Gives $192 Million To Palestinians

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obama-hamasPresident Barack Obama has lifted a ban on financial aid to the Palestinian Authority.

Obama stated that the aid was “important to the security interests of the United States.”

The US Congress froze a $192 million aid package to the Palestinian Authority after its president, Mahmoud Abbas, defied US pressure and sought to attain UN endorsement of Palestinian statehood last September. The presidential waiver means that aid can now be delivered.

The unilateral statehood gambit was strongly opposed by Israel, which said Abbas was seeking to avoid negotiating the necessary compromises and modalities of statehood with Israel. The US indicated it would veto a resolution in the Security Council seeking unilateral recognition of “Palestine,” but the issue has not come to a vote, because the Palestinians were unable to obtain sufficient support in the Security Council. They may yet seek a non-binding endorsement of statehood in the UN General Assembly.

Section 3 of Congress’s Palestinian Accountability Act, which applies to 2012, stipulates that “no funds available to any United States Government department or agency … may be obligated or expended with respect to providing funds to the Palestinian Authority.” Obama has now signed a waiver, however, the White House said Friday, and asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to inform Congress accordingly.

The AFP news agency quoted White House spokesman Tommy Vietor as saying the $192 million aid package would be devoted to “ensuring the continued viability of the moderate PA government under the leadership of [Palestinian Authority] President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.”

Vietor added that the PA had fulfilled its major obligations, such as recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and accepting the Road Map for Peace.

Earlier in April, the Middle East peacemaking “Quartet” expressed concern about the “increasing fragility” of the Palestinian Authority, which requires $1.1 billion in financial aid. A statement on behalf of the Quartet called on the two sides to work together to improve Palestinian governance and expand economic opportunities for the Palestinian people.

{Times of Israel/Matzav.com Newscenter}


12 COMMENTS

  1. Now abbas can holiday with arafats wife and buy a few new custom suits by olmerts tailor.
    Corruption and idiocy,wnat a combination.
    I predict a world war if obama wins a second term

  2. he more Israel tries to prove how democratic they are, the more Israel gives up land to prove it and displaces Jews calling them settlers as if they are non entities,They are HASHEMS favorite, Their souls fought alongside King David.We were born of ABRAHAM and never left that land except when our ‘cousins’, the children of ishamel fought us and kicked us out and our other cousins esauv tortured us and tore our nation into pieces taking down our second temple.
    ISRAEL IS JEWISH
    WAS, IS AND WILL BE

  3. Classy backdrop, Matzav. This is no different than all peoples commitment to other people in the past and there is a humanitarian concern.

  4. #1,

    “I predict a world war if obama wins a second term”

    Unfortunately, I fear to agree with you. May Hashem have complete mercy on us

  5. And how much has he given to Israel? Check it out – there’s a slight imbalance. Compared to what the US has given the Palestinians, the aid to Israel is astronomical.

  6. Oldtimer can you explain why there should be a balance between the aid (most of which in the shape of military sales to the advantage of US factories) to Israel, and the cash transferred to PA? There’s no argument that the same amount of cash should be transferred to e.g. the Philarmonic or some medical research institute, which seem to me worthy recipients after all.

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