President Trump Threatens To Cut Off Aid To Palestinian Authority

What’s the story?

Late Tuesday President Trump threatened on Twitter to cut off aid to the Palestinian Authority over their response to his move to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He tweeted:

...peace treaty with Israel. 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?

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 2, 2018

It is unclear what Israel would have had to pay, but the amount that the Palestinian Authority would lose in U.S. aid, according to CNN, is approximately $616 million, which is split between humanitarian assistance, private sector debt payments and infrastructure development assistance.

Congress has also recently debated cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority is they continue to provide aid to individuals and their families who have been involved in terrorist acts against Israelis. Supporters of the Taylor Force Act say the Palestinian Authority is sponsoring terrorism, while critics maintain they are simply supporting families who have been harmed due to the occupation.

What do you think?

Should aid to the Palestinian Authority be removed, either over their refusal to participate in a peace process led by the U.S. or because of their continued support of individuals, and their families, who are involved in violence against Israelis?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

Take Action

— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Wikimedia / Creative Commons)