Senate threatens to cut aid to Palestinians over statehood bid at UN

[dlwickham]

Senators from both parties warned Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas on Wednesday that he will be putting millions of dollars of U.S. aid at risk if he goes forward with his planned statehood bid at the United Nations next week.

Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine), co-authors of a Senate resolution denouncing the statehood bid, wrote to the Palestinian Authority president on Wednesday warning him that “any such efforts may cause consequences in regards to U.S. policy and foreign aid.” The resolution reaffirming the U.S. preference for a negotiated two-state solution to the long-lasting Middle East conflict passed unanimously in late June.

“Should you decide … to bypass direct negotiations and unilaterally seek upgraded status at the U.N.,” they wrote, “we want to again remind you of the potential for significant consequences.”

http://thehill.com/blogs/global-affairs/middle-east-north-africa/269111-senate-threatens-to-cut-foreign-aid-to-palestinians-over-statehood-bid

[GitRDun]

1. I rest my case...

Lol, I just said on another post our politicians are so afraid of their own shadows they would not dare go against Israel. The Palestinians need to understand the game they are in, not the one they want to play. They need to completely stop their violence long enough for the rest of the world to shame the US and Israel into the 2 state solution.

[aquart]

4. Shame Israel and the US? Not Egypt-of-the-very-clean-hands?

Hasn't occurred to you that Egypt could make it happen tomorrow? AND DOES NOT WANT TO?

[Scootaloo]

10. I've explained this to you before, Aquart

You seem to be a very poor learner.

[GitRDun]

11. Yes a very poor learner

It's hard to learn violence and aggression is EVER warranted. Maybe you should go to Fox...

[Scootaloo]

13. I'm puzzled by your post

What are you getting at there, GitR?

[GitRDun]

14. A pox on both their houses!

Shame on Israel for negotiating for the apple pie while eating it (settlements), blockading Gaza, disproportionate responses to Palestinian violence.

Shame on Palestinians to think killing a single Jew to advance their desires for statehood will help.

Anyone who does not see this is blind! Shame on them!

[GitRDun]

15. OK shame on the Egyptians too!

Jiminy Christmas! This is not that hard! Everyone put down their weapons and let's go to work! This whole situation has been mismanaged for decades!

[Comrade_McKenzie]

7. Our blind allegiance to Israel is one of the most sickening things in American politics. nt

[Scootaloo]

2. Here's what Abbas had to say about hte same threat on March 28, 2011

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas is willing to give up hundreds of millions of dollars of US aid if that is what is necessary to forge a reconciliation deal with Hamas, the Associated Press quoted his adviser as saying on Monday.

Azzam Ahmed stated that "the Palestinians need American money, but if they use it as a way of pressuring us, we are ready to relinquish that aid."

http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?ID=214180&R=R1

That was a threat over pressing forward with a unity government with Hamas. They pressed forward, formed a unity government, aid was not cut.

$150m in foreign aid to the Palestinians.
$2bn in aid to the Egyptians
$3bn in military aid to the Israelis.

I somehow think that even if the US "goes through with it" this time around, the Palestinians will figure it out without many tears shed over losing the pittance we tried ot dangle over them to make them jump on command.

[justice1]

3. Not surprising, considering how many of our politicians party in Israel.

[aquart]

6. Yes. They're all in thrall to the Jews.

Jews run everything, you know. And have all the money. No one can say no to the Jews.

Or did you mean something else?

[Comrade_McKenzie]

5. I wonder how they're able to shit all over the US and the world with AIPAC's hand up their ass? nt

[aquart]

8. Goodness, who is "they", my transparent friend?

I'm sure your concern for the Kurds, Tamils, Rwandans and so many others has been equally vociferous online.

I'll bet you can provide links.

[Scootaloo]

9. I don't see too much hatred directed at Kurds, Tamils, and Tutsis online, come to think of it

I guess it depends on where you go, of course.

[blkmusclmachine]

16. 400 million US dollars continue to flow to Uganda to kill their gay folks.

Our Ambassador to Uganda just toured Kampala to reassure Uganda's Parliament that the US foreign aid of one-half a billion dollars every year will flow unfettered before, during, and after passage of the Ugandan Kill the Gays genocide bill. The US: All talk, NO action. Slaughter away, it's the "bi-partisan" way.


Operation Northwoods: The 9/11 you never knew