TEL AVIV – The Trump administration is preparing to cut tens of millions of dollars – over half the intended first installment – from the UN agency for so-called Palestinian refugees, the Associated Press, citing U.S. officials, reported on Sunday.
According to officials, only $60 million of the planned $125 million would be paid to the UN Relief and Works Agency, the body that administers to Palestinian “refugees.” Other payments would be contingent on major changes in the organization, the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, added.
The definition of a Palestinian “refugee” and the actual numbers have long been the subject of debate.
Last month, Trump said that Palestinian intransigence regarding negotiations with Israel would cost them aid.
Trump tweeted, “we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue peace treaty with Israel” and added, “with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?”
It's not only Pakistan that we pay billions of dollars to for nothing, but also many other countries, and others. As an example, we pay the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year and get no appreciation or respect. They don’t even want to negotiate a long overdue...
In a two hour address to the Palestinian Liberation Organization on Sunday, Abbas cursed Trump over the tweet, saying, “May your house be demolished.”
However, there has been a difference of opinion among U.S. officials regarding the U.S. decision. READ MORE
