In a bid to bolster the leadership of Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, the United States is sending $20 million in direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority, marking a dramatic shift in U.S. policy.
Citing “national security needs,” Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage signed a waiver from congressional restrictions which require aid for the Palestinian Authority to go through international agencies or non-governmental organizations.
Congress bars direct aid to the PA under the leadership of Yasser Arafat, who is considered corrupt and maintains ties to terrorists.
In consulting with congressional leaders, administration officials stressed the need for urgency to help stabilize the new leadership of Abbas and to fortify his efforts to combat terror attacks in areas where the PA assumes security responsibility from Israel.
 Mahmoud Abbas |
As WorldNetDaily reported, Abbas threatened to resign yesterday amid turmoil with Palestinian colleagues over how he is handling talks with Israel. He also handed in his resignation from the Fatah Central Committee to Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat, but the committee unanimously refused to accept it.
Abbas threatened to resign last month, blaming Arafat as Hamas terrorism increased and Israel raised the stakes on retaliation.
The U.S. aid decision follows a request for funds by Palestinian Finance Minister Salam Fayyad to National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice during her visit to the West Bank last month.
“It is very significant. This is the first time since the Palestinian Authority was established in 1994 that the United States has given direct assistance,” Edward G. Abington, a Washington-based consultant to the Palestinians, told the Washington Post. “It puts them on a different footing in how we are dealing with them, opening the door wider in terms of dealing with them as a government.”
According to the Israel daily Haaretz, annual U.S. aid to the Palestinians is usually about $200 million, with about $75 million going through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA. This year, the Palestinians are due to receive $125 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development, while the State Department’s refugees bureau provides Palestinians with $89 million through the UNRWA.
According to the Post, it is unclear whether the $20 million will come from existing funds or from $200 million in previously allocated funds that have never been delivered to the Palestinians.
The $20 million is considered to be a trial balloon and hundreds of millions more will likely follow if the Abbas government makes progress along the “road map” to peace.
“People are going to watch it carefully to see what happens,” a senior Republican Senate aide told the Post. “It could help the peace process and polish the image of the Palestinian Authority. Conversely, it could be a disaster.”
Israel was notified of the aid and did not express any objections, according to Haaretz.
