By COLlive reporter
The U.S. Congress reportedly blocked $200 million in aid to the Palestinian Authority in what a Palestinian official called “collective punishment” for their unilateral statehood bid.
The report in The Independent says that there has been an unpublicized block on the transfer of funds, less than one third of the aid sent to the Palestinians annually.
JTA reports that Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, the chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is the one holding back the approval of the funds.
Republicans and Democrats have warned that such money may be withheld if the Palestinians do not pull back from their attempt to gain statehood recognition through the United Nations and absent peace talks with Israel.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Republican, reminded in September that former President George H.W. Bush in 1989 did “stop dead in its tracks” attempts by former Palestinian leader Yassir Arafat to seek recognition from various UN agencies after statehood was declared a year before.
According to the Jerusalem Post, she called upon President Barack Obama to do the same in 2011 to stop Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas‘s “dangerous unilateral scheme” by suspending funds to any UN agency “that granted membership or any upgraded status to the PA.”
Why on earth were they aiding them in the first place? the palestininians are multi-millionares while the us in 14 trillion dollars in debt.
G-d bless her………….
You are %1000 correct you took the words right out of my mouth
following CANADA’S example
number 7′ s comment expresses what everyone should be realising. its a dovor poshut….. OBAMA IS GIVING AN INCH (PRETENDING NOT TO SUPPORT UNILATERAL STATEHOOD, STOPPING 200M OF AID, JUST TO GET REELECTED THEN FDINISH TYHE JOB HE STARTED AT CAIRO UNIVERSITY, THE BAND WAGON OF THE INSANE 2 STATE SOLUTION, OBAMA STARTED BY MAKING HIS ANTI ISRAEL OUTRAGEOUS SPEECH AT CAIRO UNIVERSITY DEMANDING ISRAEL CONCEDES THE TERRITORIES, STOPS AND DISMANTLES SETTLEMENTS, AGREE A 2 STATE SOLUTION ETC. NETANYAHU CRUMBLED FEARING OBAMA WOULD CRUSH ISRAEL , BEING A POPULAR WITH THE US MASSES, AND STOP AID TO ISRAEL. AND THEN… Read more »
Great, give the Palestinians something to riot and kill Jews over …
Great as this is, remember….IF G-d forbid Obama gets in again he will destroy Israel. Last term, he has nothing to lose. He’s only changing his tune now because he wants the Jewish vote & as a bloc we’re too stupid to see it.
Proud to have Ileana Ros-Lehtinen as my congresswoman.
We should contact the Congresswoman’s office to thank her for the brave stance.
Washington DC office: 202-225-3931
Miami office: 305-668-5970
good!
gr8!!!
Ileana Rohs-Lehtinen is probably one of the best friends Israel has had in Washington in recent history, and that’s not a exaggeration. She’s Jewish but didn’t grow up as one so she doesn’t consider herself to be one.