Trump Slashes Millions in Aid to Palestinians as Fallout from Jerusalem Decision Escalates

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USCPR Executive Director Yousef Munayyer spoke to ThinkProgress about the news that Trump is withholding more than half of the US promised financial assistance to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestine refugees.

The decision has already set off a firestorm among Palestinian advocates. Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, told ThinkProgress on Tuesday that the decision could have devastating implications for Palestinian refugees, many of whom rely on U.S. funding.

“In his most recent display of desperation over the failure to advance the so-called ‘ultimate deal’ by giving the Israelis everything they ask for, President Trump is taking it out on Palestinian refugees who rely heavily on humanitarian assistance, particularly in Gaza where the economic and humanitarian situation is dire,” Munayyer said.

“By slashing funds to UNRWA, Trump is severing a decades old relationship and commitment by the United States to Palestinian refugees, who continue to lack protection and citizenship while Israel denies them the right of return to their homes,” Munayyer said. “This shameful decision should been seen in the broader anti-humanitarian and anti-refugee attitude of this administration, which has found new and unique ways to take the Israeli/Palestinian morass and make it increasingly worse.”

Read the article.