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Hours Before Leaving Office, Obama Gave $221 Million To Palestinians
U.S. President Barack Obama waves while departing from the White House. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Defying Republican opposition just hours before leaving office, Barack Obama released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority, Associated Press reported today (24 January). According to some congressional aides and State Department officials, the US Congress was informed about Obama’s decision on Friday. Other than $221 million for the Palestinians, Obama also released $6 million in foreign affairs spending.
Upset over Palestinian Authority’s move to seek membership of international organisations, two GOP lawmakers - Ed Royce and Kay Granger - had blocked the aid. Obama had been pressing for the release of the aid and finally ignored the Congressional block which was not binding in nature. This aid for West Bank and Gaza, classified as ‘humanitarian assistance’, comes from the US Agency for International Development.
The move is bound to draw criticism from certain quarters of the US Congress and the new administration. Trump has been very clear in his support for Israel and strongly criticised Obama’s move to abstain on a Security Council resolution vote condemning Israeli settlements in West Bank instead of vetoing it.
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