U.S. Weighs Cutting Aid to Palestinian Refugees

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 01/10/18 | News Source: MATZAV

$125 million of U.S. aid to UNRWA that was scheduled to be delivered Jan. 1 is now on hold, Josh Rogin reports for the Washington Post.
“The president is fed up with this phenomena of trashing the United States at the UN and then asking us for money. Ambassador Haley shares that view,” a senior administration official said.
Three administration officials confirmed that at a Jan. 5 interagency meeting in Washington, representatives from the State and Defense departments argued for at least partial funding for UNRWA, while the representative from America’s UN mission held firm to Haley’s view that no funding should be provided. A State Department spokesman told me the administration is considering a range of options, such as providing partial funding or asking others, such as Saudi Arabia, to foot the bill.
Sources close to Haley said she does not advocate abolishing UNRWA altogether, but believes that there can be no more business as usual when it comes to giving aid to countries that oppose U.S. policy. This position is shared by White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, national security adviser H.R. McMaster and Jared Kushner.