US President Donald Trump on Wednesday threatened to cut aid money to the Palestinian Authority unless it resumes peace talks as he dismissed the global fury over his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.
The US was the biggest donor to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestine Refugees in 2016, giving over $368,000,000. It is also the largest overall supplier of financial support for the Palestinians. Trump last month recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital despite warnings from the Arab leaders, reversing decades of US and international policy on the holy city. The Palestinians see east Jerusalem as their future capital.
“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,” Trump tweeted last night.
“We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more. But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to themIJ” asked the US President.