The Biden administration told Congress recently that it plans to restart aid to the Palestinians, including $150 million through the U.N. relief agency UNWRA, $75 million for
economic support and $10 million for development assistance, a congressional source told U.S. News & World Report.
The administration, in an emailed notice to congressional offices also said Washington would resume security assistance to the Palestinians, the source told Reuters.
What this means is that President Joe Biden is moving to restore some U.S. aid cut off by President Donald Trump.
The Israeli Ambassador to the United States and the UN, Gilad Erdan, expressed immediate opposition to the move, saying: "Israel is strongly opposed to the anti-Israel and anti-Semitic activity happening in UNRWA's facilities," adding that Tel Aviv "believes that UNRWA should be deleted in its current form and its constant incitement, in addition to its wrong policy in defining a refugee."
"We believe that this UN agency for so-called "refugees" should not exist in its current format. UNRWA schools regularly use materials that incite against Israel and the twisted definition used by the agency to determine who is a "refugee" only perpetuates the conflict," Erdan said, noting that he had warned the State Department of the danger of such activity, particularly without ensuring that "incitement" and "anti-Semitic content" are removed from UNRWA's educational curriculum.
A group of Republican senators sent a letter to the Biden administration urging it to halt aid to the Palestinians until several conditions can be met to ensure the support isn’t going to terrorists.
“We call on you to halt these expenditures until the State Department accounts for statutory restrictions and remedies known deficiencies in the distribution of such assistance, which have for years promoted and facilitated terrorism against Americans and Israelis,” the senators wrote in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The letter, which was led by Texas Senator Ted Cruz along with more than a dozen colleagues, cites a March 19 Government Accountability Office report that found that USAID “did not consistently ensure” that assistance would not land in the hands of terrorist groups during the fiscal years 2015-2019. The letter asks the State Department to implement the changes recommended by the report.
It also asks the department to certify to Congress that the assistance doesn’t violate the 2018 Taylor Force Act, which restricts funding for programs in the region under certain conditions.
But leave it to freshman Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene to put America First by introducing the “No Funding For Terrorists Act” which actually stops all financing to those who commit acts of violence against United States and Israeli citizens.
Rep. Taylor Greene’s bill would prevent future payments like the $235,000,000 payout to the Palestinian Authority just authorized by the Biden administration.
The No Funding For Terrorists Act will:
Block all USAID funding to Gaza and the West Bank that would directly benefit the Palestinian Authority.
Cut the caveats and exemptions from the original Taylor Force Act that gives the Secretary of State the option to send foreign assistance if he files paperwork to Congress explaining that the Palestinian Authority is taking steps to ends acts of violence against U.S. and Israeli Citizens.
Letters, news releases and statements in opposition to Biden’s dangerous policies in the Middle East are fine and helpful, but there’s nothing like a bill preventing these follies from being funded to show that you really mean it.
We applaud Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for introducing the “No Funding For Terrorists Act” and urge her fellow Republicans to join her as co-sponsors. The toll-free Capitol Switchboard (1-866-220-0044), call and urge your Representative to co-sponsor the “No Funding For Terrorists Act” today.
Marjorie Taylor Greene
Joe Biden
Illegal immigration
Aid to Palestinians
terrorism
UNWRA
Trump foreign policy
Israel
Refugees
State Department
Antony Blinken
No funding for Terrorists Act
Palestinian Authority
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