The Biden administration is quietly stepping up its financial support for Palestinians in the latest foreign policy reversal of former President Donald Trump.
The State Department, along with the United States Agency for International Development, notified Congress of their intention to provide nearly $ 75 million in aid to the region, just one day after it publicly made a $ 15 million pledge to vulnerable Palestinian groups.
The State Department declined to say whether the $ 15 million was included in the $ 75 million named to Congress or whether it was two separate payments.
The funds do not require further approval from Congress as they were largely allocated in the fiscal year 2020 budget.
However, they were not issued before President Biden took office, as the Trump administration’s policies blocked almost all aid to Palestinians.
Then-President Trump cut ties with the Palestinian Authority in August 2018 amid heightened tensions over the then-Supreme Commander’s decision to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The decision to block aid resulted in the Palestinians losing more than $ 200 million.
The Biden administration made no effort to disclose the payment renewals, probably an effort to avoid worrying pro-Israeli Americans about its positions in the Middle East.
State Department spokesman Ned Price, who was asked for comment, reiterated the Biden government’s support for resuming aid to the Palestinians.
“We continue to believe that US support for the Palestinian people, including financial support, is consistent with our values. It is consistent with our interests. It is, of course, in line with the interests of the Palestinian people, ”Price told reporters.
“It is also in line with the interests of our partner, Israel, and we will have more to say about that in the future,” he continued.
While Biden may not support the Trump doctrine on all aspects of foreign policy, he has welcomed an attempt by the previous president: the Abraham Accords.
The Abraham Accords were signed last September and normalized relations between Israel and two Gulf states in a deal led by the Trump administration.
At the time, Biden pledged to build on the work of his predecessor and praised the diplomatic achievements that brought together Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Israel.
With pole wires