Posted on 03/23/2013 7:42:12 PM PDT by EinNYC
The US State Department announced on Friday that nearly $500 million in aid had been unblocked for transfer to the Palestinian Authority, months after Congress froze the funds in late-2012.
To date, we have moved $295.7 million in fiscal year 2012 money and $200 million in fiscal year 2013 assistance, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters.
The announcement came on the heels of US President Barack Obamas first trip to Israel and the West Bank since assuming office in 2009.
The Palestinian Authority has been in the grips of a deep economic crisis, largely due to promised aid going undelivered. Additionally, Israel has stopped delivering Palestinian tax revenues to the PA with the exception of a one-time payment of $100 million in January following Palestines approved petition for non-member observer state status at the UN last November.
The Obama administration has been pushing for release of Congressional aid funds for some time, and it was unclear if any conditions were placed on the PA in exchange for delivery.
In a meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in Ramallah, however, Obama reportedly asked the Palestinian leader to refrain from turning to the International Criminal Court for any reason, including settlement expansion. The PA has consistently threatened to address its grievances against Israel at the Hague in recent months.
According to London-based daily Asharq Al-Awsat, Abbas said he would turn to the Court if Israel began to build in the controversial E1 corridor that connects East Jerusalem with the West Bank settlement of Maaleh Adumim, but that he would wait two months before doing so. Israel announced plans to build in the area after Abbass unilateral move for a status upgrade at the UN.
In an apparent reversal from his first-term policy of supporting a settlement freeze, Obama stated Thursday that Palestinians cannot expect for Israel to agree to preconditions for negotiations. The New York Times also reported a softening in Abbass position, citing talking points leaked before the PA leaders meeting with the US president. According to the report, Abbas is so eager to resume peace negotiations that he is now willing to forgo a public Israeli announcement of a settlement freeze.
Thanks Jet Jaguar
The list, Ping
Let me know if you would like to be on or off the ping list
I actually had to sever a 15 year friendship because my former friend kept trying to shove pro-Obama talking points down my throat via unwanted emails. Even my telling him that I did not want to receive such emails and to shove Obama up the nearest convenient orifice failed to stop his emailing me and a lot of other conservative friends and acquaintances his load of Obama-crap. He actually chose Obama over our friendship. It still hurts. Hope he's happy with his choice, after all Obama's done to this country and yet intends to do.
1. Pond scum 2. Fecal material 3. Palestinians (Jordanians)
Point taken. My comment is in no way anti Jew. More like anti liberals that happen to be Jews. Nonetheless, if all I have read & observed is reasonably accurate, the majority do vote liberal. Leading me to the conclusion that their religion is somewhat (weak? transparent? Certainly secondary to political ideology).
My personal experience is anecdotal and quite limited, but my contact with politically conservative Jews has been pretty limited.
I haven't heavily researched Pamela Geller, but so far I like what I see. The truth, no holds barred.
..............You know, if your economy is dependent on economic aid from other countries, your country has no future. Unless being a parasite is the future you seek..............
Please let me modify your comment a bit!
You know, if the US economy is dependent on economic loans from other countries, the US has no future. Unless being a parasite to the rest of the world is the future you seek.
I been to one worlds fair, a picnic an’ a rodeo, and that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard of ...
Joe Biden could take a lotta trips to Vegas with that kinda money!
If you do not see the myriad of complex laws and principles of Judaism being carried out by your parents and they are not taught to you, you will go looking for spiritual or SOME kind of belief system to fill the void. If that void is filled by materialism or Communism or whatever, the Jew by virtue of being born to a Jewish mother will not be an observant Jew and will not identify with the Jewish people. Their values will be with whatever turns them on that week. If they have fallen in with liberals to replace the Jewish community they were robbed of by their non-observant parents, their values will be those of the libs. They are still Jews according to Jewish law, but they are not living a Jewish lifestyle and their views are not based on authentic Jewish values.
The "70%" of Jews who voted for Obama were certainly mostly the type of Jews I have described here, not observant Jews who know from moral values. So it's not fair at all to lump knowledgeable and practicing Jews with Jews who were robbed of their rightful education and then declare that "70% of Jews voted for Obama".
$200 million for Jordan
$500 million for Palestinians
CHA-CHING!
I know how you feel. I severed a relationship with a good friend over the same thing. He kept posting and emailing agitprop to me even after I asked him to stop. He was one of those who justified liberal insanity by invoking GWB. The final straw was an email about gun control and New Town.
It is a shame, we were tight at one time; we drove to Colorado once..
I wondered about what all the glowing words to Israel were about. Now I see. Just more theme and deception on the part of the regime. Look at the right hand not the left.
Any question about what this money will go for once the terrorists PLO get their hands on it? Destruction of Israel was always and is the game both zero and the PLO play.
Why do these bearded savages who jumped up and down for joy the morning of Sept 11, 2001 need any assistance from us?
You could say pretty much the same thing for the “Christian” liberals.
And, given an opportunity, they will kill you!
That’s why he be called Zero. Good for NOTHING. A fifth column in the midst of moral minded people.
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