Israel To Ask U.S. Congressmen To Halt Aid To Palestinians
Source: Haaretz
Recently passed American legislation states that if the Palestinians initiate any action against Israel at the ICC, the State Department would have to stop American aid to the PA, which comes to some $400 million annually.
By Barak Ravid | Jan. 5, 2015 | 12:22 AM
After freezing the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, Israel is taking additional steps to punish the PAs for its request to join the International Criminal Court at The Hague.
A senior Israeli official said on Sunday Jerusalem would be contacting pro-Israel members of the U.S. Congress to ensure the enforcement of legislation stipulating that if the Palestinians initiate any action against Israel at the ICC, the State Department would have to stop American aid to the PA, which comes to some $400 million annually. The stop-gap funding bill was passed in Congress last month.
Both houses of the new Congress to be seated later this month will be controlled by the Republican Party, with many key positions filled by senators and representatives who are pro-Israel and anti-Palestinian. The law regarding the Palestinians initiating action at the ICC is strongly worded and states that President Barack Obama cannot waive a decision to halt aid to the PA.
The U.S. administration is concerned about the ramifications of halting the financial assistance, which is liable to make it impossible for the PA to pay the salaries of tens of thousands of employees. Although Arab states have promised to provide the PA with a financial security net, the Americans believe that, as in the past, the Arab states wont cough up the money they promised and wont work to keep the PA afloat.
Read more: http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.635316
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)Money talks.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)AIPAC is just one of many foreign lobby groups bending ears in Washington. So, what gives it and its fellow Israel Lobby groups (there are many, and AIPAC is one of the few that is at least honest enough to use "Israel" in its name) their edge?
Republicans believe Israel is Jesus. either very literally, or in some metaphorical sense that Israel will become Jesus. And of course to this mindset, Jesus - Israel - is superior to all nations and all kings, and fealty must be sworn, demands must be met, sacrifices must be made. Israel basically rules the Republican party like tribal kings.
Democrats aren't tied up in the religious hokum, thankfully, but another, equally stupid mythology - the belief that Israel and Jews are one and the same, and that by granting total support to Israel in all things, they can keep the "Jewish vote." if this were true, of course the Republicans would capture the Jewish vote every election.
Stir in a solid amount of hatred against Muslims in both parties, from both bases, and you have the modern US rubric of endorsng and defending absolutely every action Israel ever takes, no matter what.
You don't need AIPAC - Republican stupidity and Democratic triangulation do all the heavy lifting.
sinkingfeeling
(51,484 posts)Hoppy
(3,595 posts)blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)procon
(15,805 posts)and a whole cottage industry is flourishing by churning crazy conspiracy theories about them dang libruls and some scary Foreign influence over US gubermint policies. Now it looks like they have no qualms when it come to inviting their own prefered choice of Foreign interference to shape US policies for the GOP.
What's that acronym... oh, yeah, IOIYAR -- It's Okay If You're A Republican!
SamKnause
(13,111 posts)NobodyHere
(2,810 posts)Last time I checked we're still running a deficit over here.
why are we giving money to Israel?
NobodyHere
(2,810 posts)but that wasn't the subject of the OP.
Israel can survive without aid, Palestinians cant
AngryDem001
(684 posts)Hamas has plenty of money.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)Not that $400m annually really helps, when we're still shoveling $3bn annually towards that destruction.
The Shredder
(46 posts)They are, after all, funneling funds for terror in Gaza. Even currently housing the Hamas leader who's a wanted terrorist.
Scootaloo
(25,699 posts)how dare they call war criminals, war criminals !
blkmusclmachine
(16,149 posts)Archae
(46,363 posts)But since several here don't mind in the least them joining the ICC, let's allow ISIS and Al-Qaeda to join too.
The Shredder
(46 posts)Black September, for one.
Palestine loses, and ICC will accept Israel's assurance they did follow the rules of engagement/rules of war.
PLO/Hamas ignore the rules of war/rules of engagement.
azurnoir
(45,850 posts)well except at least in the case of Munich, most of perpetrators were extra-judicially assassinated long ago
shaayecanaan
(6,068 posts)Defund the PA, let it collapse, and throw the heavy lifting of the occupation back into Israel's lap. Let them see if they can pay for it, especially on top of the Gaza war bill and the coming tech collapse 2.0.
Ken Burch
(50,254 posts)has ALWAYS produced such spectacularly successful results in the past...like, oh I dunno, THE RISE OF HAMAS.
marble falls
(57,405 posts)the West Bank for over twenty years. And will continue to write about it into the future.
I will write to continue and increase all aid given to Palestine and the Palestinians.
lark
(23,182 posts)That's what really needs to happen. I am so tired of having my tax dollars go to support this genocidal Israeli government.
BillZBubb
(10,650 posts)Then the pathetic pretense that the US is a neutral party in the region and that the US backs the "good guys" will be shown for the lie that it has always been.
For decades US policy has, at least publicly, that the Israeli settlements are not acceptable. Yet funding for Israel has never been in jeopardy despite Israel's thumbing its nose at the US. Only recently has the Palestinians move to join the ICC been an issue, but now the aid to the Palestinians is going to be stopped. That is disgusting.
One side, Israel, is committing illegal acts in settling occupied territory, the other side is joining an international organization that seeks justice. Guess which one the "good" US supports?
If the end of US aid brings along the collapse of the PA, Hamas wins. The Israeli hawks love that outcome. No doubt US neocons do too.