Obama Snubs Congress, Restores Palestinian Funding
US President Barack Obama has lifted a ban on financial aid to the Palestinian Authority. An official with the US Agency for International Development said Saturday that the money had been restored.
Obama stated that the aid was “important to the security interests of the United States.”
The US Congress froze a $192 million aid package to the Palestinian Authority after its president, Mahmoud Abbas, defied US pressure and sought to attain UN endorsement of Palestinian statehood last September. The presidential waiver means that aid can now be delivered.
The unilateral statehood gambit was strongly opposed by Israel, which said Abbas was seeking to avoid negotiating the necessary compromises and modalities of statehood with Israel. The US indicated it would veto a resolution in the Security Council seeking unilateral recognition of “Palestine,” but the issue has not come to a vote, because the Palestinians were unable to obtain sufficient support in the Security Council. They may yet seek a non-binding endorsement of statehood in the UN General Assembly.
Section 3 of Congress’s Palestinian Accountability Act, which applies to 2012, stipulates that “no funds available to any United States Government department or agency … may be obligated or expended with respect to providing funds to the Palestinian Authority.” Obama has now signed a waiver, however, the White House said Friday, and asked Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to inform Congress accordingly.
The AFP news agency quoted White House spokesman Tommy Vietor as saying the $192 million aid package would be devoted to “ensuring the continued viability of the moderate PA government under the leadership of [Palestinian Authority] President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.”
Vietor added that the PA had fulfilled its major obligations, such as recognizing Israel’s right to exist, renouncing violence and accepting the Road Map for Peace.
Earlier in April, the Middle East peacemaking “Quartet” expressed concern about the “increasing fragility” of the Palestinian Authority, which requires $1.1 billion in financial aid. A statement on behalf of the Quartet called on the two sides to work together to improve Palestinian governance and expand economic opportunities for the Palestinian people.
yes
192 mil compared to the unquestioned billions israel gets every year….let the complaints begin
yes to add
this was money headed to them anyways but was frozen for punishment months ago, now they are getting it. how is this a big deal?
its a big deal because the right hates obama and the Jewish vote is pandering to the right because obama is Muslim. right?
or is it because he is an atheist religion hating kenyan socialist? or an elitist communist?
ive lost count of the stupidity being flung by the right.
make an intellectual argument and you will get my vote, if not i will vote democrat.
moshe
to yes. The fact that you think people will try to persuade your silly little vote on this blog is proof that it’s not an intellectual argument that’s going to convince you of anything, just as i suspect that intellect had nothing to do with your decision to vote democrat in the first place.
To #1 #2
Would you stop arguing with yourself please
Yossel
B-H
I assume that #1 and #2 are either not Jewish or anti-Israel…I wouldn’t give a plug nickel to that Jew-hating, Holocaust-denying Abbas or his hateful “Palestinian Authority.”
politics in america - how ridiculous
just wondering, is money the only thing u see in the bigger picture???
Milhouse
#1 and #2 are clearly written by an antisemite, probably a paid worker for the 0bama campaign. Yes, it is a big deal when such a huge sum of money is being handed over to our enemies. How can that not bother you?
It’s an even bigger deal when the president LIES that giving this money to those murderers is in the vital interests of US national security. Congress said they were not to be funded unless the USA would be seriously harmed without it, and it’s obvious to everyone that this condition has not been fulfilled, and yet 0bama went out of his way to say that it has been.
It makes no difference whether 0bama is a Moslem, an atheist, or just an antisemite. The fact is that he is our enemy, as evidenced by who his close personal friends are. “Tell me who your friends are and I will tell you who you are.” His close personal friends are the likes of Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said, Bill Ayers; his mentors are the likes of Jeremiah Wright and Frank Marshall Davis; his advisers are the likes of Samantha Power and Van Jones. Anyone who would vote for him is on notice that they are collaborating with the enemy.
Milhouse
#6, money is pretty important. Money buys weapons.
yes
paid antisamite by the Obama campaign!? i dont think so…
im a born and raised proud crown heightser. you just cant fathom that someone has a dif opinion than yours! judging from your history of trolling here im not alone in that thought…
and i seriously doubt the obama campaign gives two you know whats about this site! you want to know why? becuase its unintellectual ppl like you who are going to stick w the right no matter how much they screw you
yes again and for the last time
i dont think the exact same way as you so therefore im an anti samite?! millhouse, your are nothing more than an internet trolling fascist.
INTELLIGENCIA
MR MILHOUSE IS A WELL INFORMED PERSON.
AND A REALIST.
YOU #10- HOWEVER, ARE NOT.
Milhouse
“Yes”, if you think it’s OK to give millions of dollars to the PLO then you’re an antisemite. If you think giving money to the PLO is equivalent to giving money to Israel, then you’re definitely an antisemite. And I don’t believe you’re a Jew. You work for Obama, the friend of terrorists, so you’re at least OK with that. Maybe you’re a friend of terrorists yourself.
yes
its the ultimate proof that your a carzy that you think im an obama “spy” as if anyone in this community is going to vote for the president. its racist central here, but oh too bad because ny is a blue state and will be won by the president regardless of you or anyone else…
your a typical right wing loon displaying all your faults! quick to anger, quick to disgust, and allergic to facts. i think i hear sean hannity, he wants his diaper changed lol
DeClasse- Intellectual
Milhouse you forgot to mention that one of Obama’s closest friends is the former weather men, William Ayers,” who has published works calling for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish nation for the same reasons he has called for the destruction of the United States.
It should be snoted that Obama has publically declared that after he is reelected he will ensure that the Palestians will obtain their state, and we have all seen its blue print which mandates Israel’s suicide.
So anyone who votes for Obama is not helping his fellow Jews in Israel!!!!!!!!
Milhouse
#14, What do you mean I forgot? I didn’t forget him!
The enemies we know!
They, Obama and his soulmate,Abbas,should both have a missoh meshunoh teikef umiyad. They differ in their names in two letters, Mem and Toff. veday lechkimoh beremizzoh.