US lawmakers will this week make a push to cut off American aid to the Palestinians as punishment for their efforts to become a separate state, with a House of Representatives committee pressing ahead with a bill withholding funding from any UN agency that recognises Palestine.
Lawmakers are supporting efforts to cut off the US’s annual $500m in aid to the Palestinians following the Palestinian Authority’s move to win recognition through the UN. But analysts, including supporters of Israel, have decried the efforts saying that they will serve only to undermine stability in the region.
“There are ways for Congress to express its displeasure that don’t involve cutting off aid,”
said Elliott Abrams, a Middle East adviser in the Bush administration and a leading conservative voice against the Palestinians. “If they were to cut off the Palestinian Authority, Israel would have to pick up a lot of its responsibilities, so who would they be helping and who would they be hurting?” Mr Abrams said.
Daniel Levy, a former Israeli government official who is now a senior fellow at the New America Foundation in Washington, agreed: “American aid to the Palestinians is not a favour to them,” he said. “It’s largely because the structures that are kept in place - aid and security co-operation - serve Israeli and American interests.”
The Obama administration finds itself in a conundrum following the move by Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, in September
to seek full recognition of “Palestine” through the UN Security Council. The US has stated it will use its veto to block the application, which is under review, saying the way to form two states is through negotiation. Washington last week criticised Unesco, the UN’s cultural arm, for becoming the first agency to upgrade the Palestinians’ status.
But it has nevertheless been lobbying lawmakers to unblock the frozen aid and trying to convince them to drop their efforts to cut off future assistance.
“This money goes to establishing and strengthening the institutions of a future Palestinian state, building a more democratic and stable and secure region,” said Victoria Nuland, the state department spokeswoman. “We think it is money that is not only in the interest of the Palestinians; it’s in US interests
and it’s also in Israeli interests.”
Two committees in the Republican-controlled House placed a hold on $192m in humanitarian assistance not yet disbursed and $150m in security aid, as the Palestinians were preparing for their statehood bid. The Congressional holds on funding would mainly affect infrastructure and development.
Efforts have been led by Republicans, notably Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the foreign affairs committee. She will on Thursday preside over a hearing to overhaul US activities at the UN.
Mr Levy said cutting off aid could backfire, perhaps radicalising Palestinians.
“None of this is about the Palestinians,” he said. “Those who are arguing to cut off aid are doing this for domestic political reasons
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