Israel Matzav

Don't celebrate the new US-Israel MoU

If you were thinking of celebrating the new United States - Israel Memorandum of Understanding signed by Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Obama this week, Eli Lake has a bunch of reasons why you shouldn't.

After all of this bad blood, in the last months of his administration, Obama has decided to sign an agreement with Israel that guarantees $3.8 billion per year between 2018 and 2028. On paper it seems generous. As Susan Rice, Obama's national security adviser, said Wednesday, this is the "single largest pledge of military assistance -- to any country -- in American history."

The fine print tells a different story. The key word in Rice's statement is "pledge." Congress is the body that appropriates the annual aid budget. When Obama is long gone, it will be Congress that doles out the money for Israel to spend on U.S. military equipment. So one aspect of the aid deal should raise eyebrows: terms saying that Israel will stop making its case directly to Congress for military aid.

Morris Amitay, a former executive director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or Aipac, told me he had never before heard of a president asking a sovereign country, as part of an aid package negotiation, not to lobby Congress.

At first Netanyahu didn't want to give up Israel's ability to ask Congress for more funding. But he relented. A secret annex to the memorandum signed Wednesday requires Israel to forgo any funding Congress would want to give it that exceeds what was in the aid agreement that expires in 2018.

It's unclear how restrictive the lobbying restriction will actually be. Israel doesn't lobby Congress much. Far more pro-Israel lobbying is done by Aipac, which comprises U.S. citizens. Could an agreement between Israel and the U.S. limit the rights of Americans to petition Congress? When I put this question to Aipac's spokesman, Marshall Wittman, he told me: "The agreement, of course, is only between the two governments. When the two governments reach an agreement on an issue, we give that factor great weight." For the time being, Aipac says it will lobby Congress to enact the terms of the new 10-year aid agreement signed on Wednesday.

Obama's 11^th-hour aid deal is less than it seems, not only because the White House cannot appropriate and because the lobbying restriction is off target, but also because Obama's successors may not honor his pledge. Obama himself discarded an agreement with Israel's leaders that was made by George W. Bush and supported by Congress, to accept the legitimacy of some settlements in and around Jerusalem. (That agreement was made as part of negotiations to get Israel to unilaterally withdraw from Gaza.)

The White House also got its way on another key issue known as the "off-shore procurement" carve out, whereby Israel is allowed to spend around 26 percent of the U.S. aid on its own defense industry. In the new aid deal, Israel will spend all of the U.S. subsidy on U.S. defense equipment by 2024.

In this sense the U.S. aid to Israel is a subsidy to American defense companies. The U.S. also retains the leverage that comes from subsidizing around 20 percent of a sovereign nation's defense budget.

Of course, Israel doesn't even need the money. When the U.S. began giving Israel serious military assistance in the 1960s, the country's planned economy was minuscule. In the 1970s it faced a very real boycott, backed by wealthy nations like Saudi Arabia (as opposed to an inconsequential boycott backed by U.S. and European college professors). Back then, the Jewish State really needed as much help as it could get.

Today, Israel's economy is thriving. In the last 10 years, the country's gross domestic product has nearly doubled, to $230 billion. Israel has discovered great deposits of natural gas. Its lawmakers in recent years have discussed starting a sovereign wealth fund. Israel is a key partner with the U.S. arms industry.

I've heard it claimed that Netanyahu agreed to this because he 'fears' that if elected President, Donald Trump will force Israel to repay aid money. If that were true, as Lake points out, this deal would not stop Trump from doing that.

I suspect that the quid pro quo is much more immediate and relates to the Obama administration's behavior at the United Nations over its last four months in office.

But who knows if they'll honor that?

Shabbat Shalom everyone.

Labels: AIPAC, Barack Hussein Obama, Binyamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, United Nations Security Council, US foreign aid, US presidential campaign 2016, US veto, US-Israel relationship

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:33 AM 1 comments

Hamas working hard, investing tremendous resources to rebuild Gaza

PHOTO: #Hamas working hard and investing enormous resources to rebuild Gaza Strip. pic.twitter.com/4w6rq5ToZO
— Khaled Abu Toameh (@KhaledAbuToameh) December 14, 2014

Why bother to rebuild when you can buy rockets instead?

Labels: European foreign aid, Fajr-5 rockets, Grad rocket, Hamas, Hamas rockets, Izzadin Kassam Brigades, J-80 rockets, Kassam rockets, M-302 rockets, M-75 rockets, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:59 PM 0 comments

International community pledges $5.4 billion for Hamas, less than $1 billion to fight Ebola

This week there was a parlor party to raise money for one of the world's great humanitarian issues. No, it wasn't Ebola. The world doesn't have time for that and cannot even come up with $1 billion to fight it. It's Gaza where for the third time in six years the world is pledging billions of dollars to reconstruct after Hamas brought on a war. What's wrong with this picture? Michael Freund comments.

Consider the following. At the Gaza donor conference, which was held in Cairo, a whopping $5.4 billion was pledged, half of which will go towards rebuilding efforts while the rest will be used to sustain the budget of the Palestinian Authority, which now includes Hamas, through 2017.

In other words, even though the Palestinians siphoned off previous aid and used it to prepare for war with Israel, they are once again becoming recipients of Western largesse.

Needless to say, the funds pledged are not contingent on Hamas disarmament, nor will any demands be made of the terrorist group to cease building tunnels to try and burrow into Israel and murder innocent civilians.

Worse yet, by alleviating the humanitarian difficulties confronting Gaza residents, the international community is effectively reducing popular pressure on Hamas to refrain from sparking another conflict and mitigating popular anger against the terrorist group.

Indeed, the decision to funnel billions to Gaza is so dramatically short-sighted, and so remarkably stupid, that it makes one wonder if Europe and the Obama administration even understand what their own interests are. After all, why on earth would they want to assist Hamas, even indirectly, to strengthen its position vis-à-vis the Palestinian population? The inanity at work here is even more pronounced when one considers that the United Nations has been having difficulty raising just $1b. to fight Ebola.

Although the disease has killed more than 4,000 people and spread to at least seven countries, UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said on Friday that just $250 million – a mere one-quarter of the amount needed – has been raised thus far. “I now appeal to all member states to act generously and swiftly,” Eliasson said, adding that, “Speed is of the essence. A contribution within days is more important than a larger contribution within weeks.”

And so, even though the number of Ebola cases is reportedly doubling every three to four weeks, billions of dollars will be lavished on Gaza rather than on the jeopardized populations of Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Read the whole thing. 

UPDATE 11:42 PM

Khaled Abu Toameh has some more reasons why paying to rebuild Gaza is a bad idea.

First, the promised funds absolve Hamas of any responsibility for the catastrophe it brought upon the Palestinians during the confrontation with Israel.

Now the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip will no longer be asking Hamas to compensate them for the loss of their houses and family members. Any Palestinian who asks Hamas for financial aid will, as of now, be referred to the PA or the donor states.

Hopes that the catastrophic results of the confrontation would increase pressure on Hamas or perhaps trigger a revolt against it have faded now that the PA and the donor states have become the address for distributing financial aid.

Second, the talk about rebuilding or repairing infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is the best thing that could have happened to Hamas. The funds promised by the donor states will help rebuild various Hamas-controlled installations in the Gaza Strip, such as ministries, security bases, universities, mosques and charities. The infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is almost entirely controlled, directly and indirectly, by Hamas.

All investment in the Gaza Strip's infrastructure will ultimately serve Hamas's interests, even if such work is being carried out by the Palestinian Authority.

Third, Hamas members and supporters would be among those entitled to some of the money coming from the Western and Arab donors. The Palestinian Authority would find it impossible to hand out money only to Abbas loyalists in the Gaza Strip, having already promised to take care of all Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, regardless of their political affiliations.

Four, the financial aid has not been conditioned on Hamas laying down its weapons or even ceding control over the Gaza Strip to the Palestinian Authority. From now, the PA will be working toward rebuilding the Gaza Strip while Hamas will use its own resources to smuggle in additional weapons and prepare for the next war with Israel. This seems to be the agreed division of responsibilities between Hamas and the PA.

Five, there is no guarantee that the billions of dollars would have a moderating effect on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip or turn them away from Hamas. Some Palestinians are even worried that the international community might be trying to bribe the PA to stop it from pursuing plans to seek unilateral UN recognition of a Palestinian state. Others believe the promised funds are intended to stop the PA from signing the Rome Statute as a first step toward joining the International Criminal Court, in order to file "war crimes" charges against Israel.

Oh - and did I mention that Hamas 'only' asked for $4 billion? The international community really outdid itself on this one.

Read the whole thing.

Labels: Ebola, European foreign aid, Gaza, Hamas, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Palestinian Authority, United Nations, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:26 PM 2 comments

Gaza donors have had it?

Moadim l'Simcha, a good holiday to all of you. This is the first time I have been online since the day on which access to the computer is prohibited ended at sundown last night. I was busy with family matters.

A reminder that here in Israel there is only one holiday day at each end on which work is prohibited (rather than the two there are overseas), and therefore, I can be online on Friday afternoon.

It seems that Western donors - who have been asked to finance the 'reconstruction' of Gaza over and over again only to see their money go for weapons - may finally have had it with Hamas and its leadership. The donor countries are said to be suffering from 'fatigue.'

To that end, a Western diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, warned there was "considerable donor fatigue."

"We have seen infrastructure projects that we have contributed to which have been destroyed," the diplomat said, adding that skepticism had existed even before the recent conflict.

Ample evidence has proven that Hamas uses UN and other aid money, as well as materials, to build terror tunnels into Israeli territory with the aim of attacking Israeli citizens - instead of providing buildings to its own citizens. 

[A] network of over 30 tunnels was found during the ground offensive, with each tunnel costing roughly $3 million to build. For every Hamas terror tunnel, the IDF stated, there was enough building materials to build 86 homes; seven mosques; six schools; or nineteen medical clinics.  

Meanwhile, Hamas has begun to rebuild terror tunnels into Israel on foreign aid money - but despite this, the UN already joined the PA in making a call for $550 million to rebuild Gaza.

But it seems that the West isn't 'fatigued' enough. Despite the 'donor fatigue,' the West is accepting the 'Palestinians' narrative without question.

Earlier this week, Hamas and the PA met in a unity government meeting in Gaza to present the pretext of the PA being in charge of the going-ons in Gaza - a stunt the international community praised - and PA "foreign minister" Riyad al-Malki was confident the message was enough.

"Our initial predictions are that the (donor) conference will be a big success," he said this week.

But a second diplomat, who did not want to be named, said the Gaza cabinet meeting was "not enough to reassure donors" - even if it was enough to reassure the political machine.

Here's hoping that the donors' conference is a resounding failure. 

Labels: European foreign aid, financing terror, Gaza, Hamas, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Palestinian finances, Palestinian terrorism, terror tunnels, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:10 PM 1 comments

Time to stop US aid to Hamas

Labels: Hamas, Palestinian Authority, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:24 AM 1 comments

Priorities: More than half of US aid to the 'Palestinian Authority' expended in last four years

More than half of the money that the United States has given the 'Palestinian Authority' since the 1993 Oslo Accords was given to them in the last four years. This is from an update I received about a US lawsuit against aid to the 'Palestinians' from Shurat HaDin, the Israel Law Center.

The appellants contend that the State Department has recklessly ignored congressional safeguards and transparency requirements which govern US aid to the Palestinian Authority ("PA"). The 24 Americans argue that as a result of White House non-compliance with federal regulations, funds have been flowing to terror groups like Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. These Americans call on the US government to stop all funding to the Palestinians until the latter "fully comply with federal prohibitions against support for terrorism."

It is estimated that since the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1993, the United States Department of State, via USAID has given over $4 billion to the PA. During the last four fiscal years, average aid has been roughly $600 million per year. Additionally, the United States gives approximately $200 million to the United Nations body UNRWA, each year, and during the fiscal years 2008 and 2009, UNRWA gave roughly $500 million of their funding to recipients in the West Bank and Gaza. Under the Anti-Terrorism Act, the Department of State is required to certify that the PA is committed to a peaceful co-existence with Israel before distributing funds, and ensure that no portion of the funding is used for terrorism.

The United  States - all by itself - has given $4 billion to the 'Palestinian Authority' since 1993 - $2.4 billion of that in the last four years. That's a huge jump and it shows the Obama administration's priorities. And while one could argue that it's only 'a billion here and a billion there that might eventually add up to real money,' the fact is that this kind of massive aid increase to a group that has no interests in common with the United States shows that Obama's priority is not what is best for the American people.

Labels: Palestinian Authority, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:50 PM 2 comments

88 Senators slam 'Palestinian unity' government

88 United States Senators have signed a(n obviously bipartisan) letter to President Obama slamming the 'Palestinian unity government' in the opening salvo of what might become a war in Washington over continued US aid to the 'Palestinians.'

88 senators from across party lines signed the letter sent to the White House, written by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Susan Collins (R-ME), which warns the new PA unity effort might "jeopardize direct negotiations with Israel to achieve a two-state solution."

"The recent formation of a Palestinian Authority unity government supported by Hamas, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization that has never publicly accepted the Quartet principles, represents a serious setback to efforts to achieve peace," the senators wrote.

Citing recent appropriations law, which calls for an end to assistance to the PA should Hamas share power in the government or exert "undue influence" over its government, the Senate said the law is clear and warned the president that the chamber would reconsider future aid.

"Any assistance should only be provided when we have confidence that this new government is in full compliance with the restrictions contained in current law," the letter reads.

The State Department considers the current government an interim body, occupied by technocrats unaffiliated with either Palestinian party. Given those circumstances, the Obama administration plans on monitoring the political developments while continuing aid, officials say.

With the midterm elections coming up, and Obama already a lame duck, I hope and suspect that he's going to be hard-pressed to keep even the Democrats in line. Not to mention that by January, both houses of Congress could be controlled by the Republicans. Heh.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, United States Senate, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:14 PM 2 comments

Why the poor 'Palestinians'

Fascinating....

The cost of PA corruption is monumental. More than anything else, it makes Palestinian political and economic progress all but impossible. The poor quality of governance and the resulting lack of political inclusiveness and economic opportunities in the Palestinian territories are a surefire model for the kind of economic and political repression that typifies underperforming societies. You will not find a single example of a people governed by such a regime that has achieved long-term success. The inevitable result is social stagnation and the kind of discontent that can lead to violence and even war.

In one of my favorite examples of how Palestinian governance is subservient to political power, the PA still pays its Gaza-based employees even though they are unable to perform their duties due to the Hamas takeover. In other words, the PA—using donor funds—is paying people not to work. There is only one reason for this: It allows PA President Mahmoud Abbas to maintain his political base in Gaza.

Perhaps more infuriating, however, is the fact that an enormous amount of PA money—foreign and domestic—goes to line the pockets of the Palestinian political elite. About two years ago, Hasan Khreishah, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, spoke out on the issue. “Since the signing of the Oslo Accords,” he said, “we have had 12 Palestinian governments…. Each government [has]… at least 24 ministers. This means we have had 228 ministers, in addition to advisors. All receive high salaries and luxurious vehicles.” He went on to point out that the aforementioned PIF pays its chairman $35,000 per month, which is over 12 times the West Bank’s per capita gross domestic product in 2008—the most recent data available.

This is, unfortunately, the PA’s standard operating procedure. An EU audit of the years 2008-2012 found that around 2 billion Euros of its aid were lost to corruption. It has also been shown that Yasser Arafat and his advisors stole millions of dollars in foreign donations, turning them into billions as they moved the money around the world. According to several reports, this practice has continued—and may have gotten worse—under Abbas. And with the Palestinians’ acceptance into the United Nations Convention Against Corruption, the PA will now have a shield with which to protect itself from any real reform.

Many supporters of the PA tend to look for ways to explain away these problems. They have composed a popular narrative in which, despite the PA’s corruption—or perhaps regardless of it—the Palestinians’ problems are primarily Israel’s fault. Economic and political development in the Palestinian territories, it is claimed, can only move forward if Israel withdraws from the West Bank, voids its security requirements for border movement, and allows the free flow of people and goods.

I have witnessed something different. I have observed the West Bank economy and labor market from within, and have come to understand that the best opportunities for Palestinians are abroad. Not only do foreign markets offer larger consumer bases and greater profits for exporters, but most importantly they do not suffer from the corruption experienced under the Palestinian Authority that stifles prosperity well beyond any other factor. Even within the West Bank economy, many of the best opportunities come from Israeli and foreign assistance.

Given that the highest profit margins for Palestinian goods are found outside the territories, such assistance is essential. And given that Israel is the Palestinians’ main point of access to foreign markets, its help is equally important. Even though many opportunities for economic development are initiated by aid agencies and NGOs from the West and Asia—such as the project Sammy Khalidi participated in—they not only require Israel’s help, but also benefit from direct Israeli participation that mostly goes unreported. This is partly because Israel’s assistance can be politically unpopular domestically, but it also because, as in Sammy’s case, it does not fit the narrative people are comfortable with.

Read the whole thing.

As you might have figured out from the cartoon above, I am not convinced that the 'Palestinians' would make peace with Israel even if they had an economy.  But what it would lead it is something far more dangerous from the 'Palestinian' elite's perspective: contentment with the status quo, a lessening of the desire for a 'Palestinian state' now, and most importantly, a dissipation of the desire to extirpate the Jewish state. Aside from pure greed, those are the motivations behind the continuing corruption in the 'Palestinian Authority' and the acceptance of that corruption by the overwhelming majority of the elites in the international community who turn a blind eye to it.

Labels: economy, European foreign aid, Palestinian Authority corruption, Palestinian economy, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:24 PM 0 comments

She may be a Democrat but her head seems to be on straight

Westchester County's Nita Lowey may be all that stands between Barack Obama and aide to the Hamas-Fatah 'unity government.'

While many of the names of House and Senate leaders have been bandied about, most Congressional sources arguably agree that the most important lawmaker is Rep. Nita Lowey, the ranking Democrat from Westchester County, NY. Lowey sits on both the full Appropriations Committee and the key subcommittee governing State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. Foreign assistance begins and dies in this subcommittee. The Republican side of the aisle has been lining up staunchly against continuing funding and invoking the mandatory legal brakes. This includes subcommittee chairwoman Kay Granger from Dallas, who has asserted that unification “puts in jeopardy future U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority.”

The Obama Administration, however, has signaled it is ready to continue funding the new Hamas-infused Palestinian Authority.

Therefore, all eyes now fall on Lowey. For her, this is a leadership moment. Will she break with her party and the Administration?

Lowey’s personal and legislative feelings have been made abundantly clear. “At this point, the law is clear, their actions are clear, and the path forward is clear,” Rep. Nita Lowey told the JTA news service immediately after news of the Hamas union became known in late April.

Monday, June 2, after the unification ceremony finished in Ramallah, Lowey issued this short warning: “I am deeply disappointed with the announcement today of a Palestinian government that includes the terrorist organization Hamas. As long as Hamas rejects the Quartet principles and the existence of the State of Israel, United States funding for this unity government is in jeopardy.”

Early June 4, 2014, a source close to Lowey confirmed her feelings remain unchanged, Indeed, within 10 seconds of asking, he emailed this reporter the relevant section of one of several key legal bars to continued funding. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, in Section 7020, Subsection F, entitled Prohibition to Hamas and the Palestine Liberation Organization, unambiguously declares: “None of the funds appropriated … may be obligated or expended for assistance to Hamas or any entity effectively controlled by Hamas, any power-sharing government of which Hamas is a member, or that results from an agreement with Hamas and over which Hamas exercises undue influence.”

The Lowey source explained, “The law is clear-cut, but what makes it complex is there are also important considerations – are we subjecting ourselves to more danger? For example, is there a particular security assistance program? Should we stop that? Or, is it smarter to keep some of those of those programs going?” The staffer conceded the notion of a drastic cut with carve-outs for special security programs. However, the source added, “The Administration seems to be ‘all systems go’” in terms of unrestricted funding.

Lowey is now posed between the law and common sense on one hand, and her own party and extenuating circumstances on other hand. “Rep. Lowey appreciates the important considerations on all sides,” the source stated. “But, also, this law it is written that way for a reason, and this law has been agreed to by the overall majority of Congress and signed in to law by the President.”

There are presidential override provisions, “but that formal procedure has not yet been invoked,” the Lowey source assured.

Will Lowey stand up to Obama? She just might.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Nita Lowey, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:34 AM 1 comments

It starts (it's about time): 'Palestinian Authority' travel privileges revoked, funds transfers may be stopped

The 'Palestinian' daily al-Hayat is reporting that Israel has revoked the travel privileges of 'Palestinian Authority officials' and has barred members of the 'unity government' from traveling between the 'West Bank' and Gaza. It's about time.

Senior Palestinian Arab officials told the daily that Israel has decided to cancel the VIP cards allowing entry into Israel for all PA officials except PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, as backlash for Monday's official declaration of the Hamas-Fatah "unity" government. The decision prevents top-ranking Palestinian Arab officials from moving back and forth between Gaza and Ramallah. 

"Israel is also reviewing stopping tax revenues from being transferred to senior [PA] officials," the official said. The amount is close to 100 million dollars per month, the official said - about 1/3 of the revenues paid to the PA total.

They should have revoked Abu Bluff's VIP card too. As to the money, the Obama-Kerry administration will make up for that.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Gaza, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Judea and Samaria, Palestinian Authority, Palestinian tax transfers, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:29 PM 2 comments

An immoral choice

Claiming that the 'good' terrorists of the PLO are in charge anyway, US Secretary of State John FN Kerry vowed to work with the newly declared Hamas-Fatah unity government.

"Based on what we know now, we intend to work with this government," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. "We will continue to evaluate the composition and policies of the new government, and if needed, we will recalibrate our approach."

Ministers in the new administration, whom Abbas has said would be politically unaffiliated, took the oath of office in a televised ceremony in Ramallah.

Psaki said the Obama administration has no intention of cutting off aid to the Palestinian Authority, which amounts to roughly $500 million a year-- pivotal funding for the cash-strapped organization.

The ministers in the government "appear to be technocratic," she said, adding that the US "will be judging this government by its actions."

US Secretary of State John Kerry spoke with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu by phone moments before Psaki's announcement.


...


US financial aid to the Palestinian Authority through 2014 has already been appropriated by the US Congress, but not obligated; the State Department must approve requests for how the funds are spent, and the PA must file those requests.

Funding for 2015 has not yet been drafted, and already, members of the appropriations committees on Capitol Hill are suggesting a cut in aid because of the deal.

Knesset Member and Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon called recognition of and aid to the new 'government' a moral dilemma.

"You cannot play a game with this, the same way you cannot hide the fact that Hamas is a terrorist organization," Danon said. "You look at the wording of the law, it says its not a Hamas appointment but the involvement of Hamas. And its a moral decision today that the administration has to make, whether they believe the unity government is bad and whether they will follow the law."

I would say that the choice that the Obama-Kerry administration made today was an immoral one, because it brings another terror organization in out of the cold. Danon seems to agree.

Danon said the Palestinian Authority would not collapse if the US cut aid, as the administration has suggested; they have other sources of funding, the minister said. But "it will make it harder for them," he added.

"Very clearly," Danon added, appropriations law from the US Congress stipulates that, "if there is a unity government with Hamas, no funding shall be transferred to the PA." Danon also took meetings at the Pentagon during his visit to Washington.

It sounds like the cow has fled the barn for 2014, but with the 2015 budget and midterm elections coming up, I doubt Congress will appropriate money for these creeps for next year.

Anyone want to take bets on how long it will take until Mr. Hamdullah gets invited to Washington?  I'd say invitation goes out November 5 and carries a date in early December.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Danny Danon, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, Jen Psaki, John Kerry, Rami Hamdullah, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:15 PM 0 comments

Obama to cut aid to 'Palestinians'?

US law requires that the United States cut nearly all aid to any 'Palestinian government' that includes Hamas and does not fulfill three basic conditions. Speaking to CNN's Candy Crowley today, deputy national security adviser Tony Blinken answered yes when asked whether the US would consider cutting aid in the event that a 'government' including Hamas did not fulfill those three conditions.

Let's go to the videotape.



Recalling Crowley's role in the 2012 Presidential debates, you don't think that question was pre-cleared so as not to ask him flat out whether the US would cut aid, do you?

More here.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Hamas-Fatah reconciliation, liberal media bias, Palestinian elections 2012, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:42 AM 1 comments

And again: Abu Bluff threatens to dissolve 'Palestinian Authority'

'Moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen  says he's ready to meet Prime Minister Netanyahu anytime, anywhere. But he has also set a whole slew of preconditions for extending the 'talks' deadline. And he apparently missed the decision to walk back the threat to dissolve the 'Palestinian Authority.' In a Tuesday conversation with Israeli reporters, he threatened dissolution once again.

Abbas said that Israel would have to assume authority over the Palestinians if it were to continue its current policy toward the Palestinian Authority.

Abbas seemed to be reiterating his reported threat to dissolve the Palestinian Authority in the event that peace talks fail, even as chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat was quoted Tuesday as saying that the PA leadership had no intention of dismantling the Ramallah government.

The comments came as Israeli and Palestinian negotiating teams were  meeting in Jerusalem Tuesday afternoon in an effort to come up with a package that would extend the negotiations beyond next week's deadline.

Good guy and bad guy? 

Labels: Abu Mazen, Middle East peace process, negotiations without preconditions, Palestinian Authority, Saeb Erekat, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:58 PM 1 comments

Delusions of grandeur

The 'Palestinians' believe that they are so important that the United States will never cut funding to them, come what may. Reports over the holiday indicated that the United States had threatened to do just that if the 'Palestinian Authority' is disbanded. This is from the first link.

Veteran Fatah leader Qadura Fares told Army Radio that officials in Ramallah were not overly concerned about the American warnings, as the main concern of the Palestinian "struggle" was the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, and not the procurement of money from the international arena.

"The struggle is for the establishment of a Palestinian state, so that the Palestinian people will have freedom and liberty," Fares, the president of the Palestinian Prisoner's Society told the radio station.

He added that the Palestinians alone were not responsible for resolving the Middle East conflict, and said that if the conflict was going to continue, it would continue.

Fares pointed toward moves that would prolong the conflict, stating that Israel could go ahead and annex the West Bank and build more settlements if it wanted to.

The 'Palestinians' would not be saying this if George W. Bush was still President. He would have taken them up on the invitation to cut funding. 

Labels: government funding, Palestinian Authority, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:21 PM 0 comments

US to revoke aid to 'Palestinians' if 'Palestinian Authority' disbands?

Has 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen outsmarted himself by threatening to disband the 'Palestinian Authority' if the 'peace process' collapses? Get a load of this exchange from Monday's State Department press briefing (Hat Tip: Arutz Sheva).

QUESTION: Are you telling Abbas not to keep issuing statements and proclamations that they are going to sort of just close shop with the PA and turn over the occupation responsibility to the Israelis?

MS. PSAKI: Well, let me speak to that, because it’s an important question. That – we’re aware, of course, of these reports and comments. That type of extreme step would obviously have grave implications. A great deal of effort has gone into building Palestinian institutions by Palestinians as well as the international community, and it would certainly not be in the interests of the Palestinian people for all of that to be lost. We – the United States has put millions of dollars into this effort. It would obviously have very serious implications for our relationship, including our assistance going forward. And as I just noted, of course, the parties are continuing to work to find the basis for extending the negotiations. Ambassador Indyk is there to help facilitate that, and that’s where our focus is.

Hmmm.

Is Abu Bluff about to find out that the world doesn't give a damn about the 'Palestinians' unless they can be used as a club against the Jews?

Labels: Palestinian Authority, Palestinians, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 1:16 AM 0 comments

Sequester? What sequester?

The US House of Representatives has voted to restore aid to Israel to its pre-sequester level of $3.1 billion. At the same time, aid to the 'Palestinian Authority' was conditioned on its not running to the United Nations unilaterally for recognition. Additionally, a portion of the aid to the 'Palestinian Authority' was conditioned upon the 'Authority's developing programs against incitement.

The amount is in line with a 2007 10-year memorandum of understanding that guaranteed Israel an average of $3 billion a year in assistance.

Aid to the Palestinian Authority was conditioned on its not running to the United Nations for recognition.

Also in the bill is $268.7 million in funding for U.S.-Israel cooperative anti-missile programs. This is not considered assistance because Israel contributes to the programs. The annual US assistance, too, has strings attached: it is conditional on the money being used for purchasing weapons from the US.

The $1.1 trillion bill passed Wednesday is the result of a deal brokered last month between Democrats and Republicans, who have been fighting over the spending bill for months. It restores about half the cuts made in the “sequestration,” the across-the-board 8 percent cuts which by law went into force in March, when Congress failed to agree on a budget.

The bill also makes the $400 million the Palestinian Authority (PA) receives in annual assistance dependent on programs against incitement, and cuts off aid to the Palestinian Arabs if the PA takes further steps to secure statehood recognition at international bodies.

JPost adds:

The overwhelming passage of $3.1 billion in Israel security assistance as part of the larger omnibus appropriations bill again demonstrates the bipartisan commitment to ensuring Israel’s security needs are fully met," Eliot Engel (D-NY), ranking member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, told The Jerusalem Post on Thursday.

A substantial portion of the aid package is earmarked for Arrow, Arrow 2 and David's Sling, Israel's long- and medium-range missile defense systems.

I don't think Obama would dare to oppose a higher level of aid to Israel in a (Congressional) election year, but I would bet that he was ask the Democrat-controlled Senate to try to get the conditions to aid to the 'Palestinians' deleted.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Eliot Engel, US aid, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:31 PM 2 comments

Egypt to Obama: Take your aid money and stick it where the sun don't shine

The United States announced this week that it is withholding some aid money from Egypt. But what if Egypt just tells them to stick the aid money where the sun don't shine? That's what's happening, and it's another epic failure for the Obama administration.

Most worrying for the United States is the possibility that the Egyptian army -- the largest in the Arab world -- will turn to a rival country for aid after decades of close ties to Washington.
The United States has long provided Egypt with about $1.55 billion in annual aid, including $1.3 billion for the military.

Military officials told Reuters that the country's generals have grown mistrustful of the United States throughout the political crisis that erupted after Morsi's overthrow.

They were infuriated from early on when the United States began hinting that action could be taken to demonstrate Washington's displeasure at Morsi's removal. Military officials said they were not surprised by the reduction in aid.

"There is a saying among us that 'whoever is covered by the Americans is in fact naked'," one military source said.

"Americans shift their positions based on their interests and don't have principles. But we also know that whatever they say or hint they would do, in the end they will not want to lose Egypt."

Egypt's army is exploring its options. "The military definitely has plans to diversify its source of weapons which include going to Russia," said the military source, who did not elaborate.

El Watan newspaper, which is close to the army, quoted a military source as saying that Egypt will soon announce deals for arms from "new markets other than America" which are of the same standard as ones from the United States.

American efforts to sell democracy in Egypt and return the Brotherhood to politics have deepened long-standing mistrust of the United States.

Read  the whole thing.

Obama's backing of the Muslim Brotherhood could destroy American interests in the Arab world for generations. What could go wrong?

Labels: Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, Barack Hussein Obama, Egyptian army, Muslim Brotherhood, Russia, Saudi Arabia, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:27 PM 4 comments

Your tax dollars at work: US funding home mortgages for 'Palestinians' in Judea and Samaria

Your US tax dollars are hard at work in the 'West Bank.' The US government has funded $313 million of home mortgages in the 'West Bank.' No, not the 'West Bank' of the Mississippi River. The 'West Bank' of the Jordan River. As in Judea and Samaria. Yes, the United States government is funding mortgages for 'Palestinians.'

The GAO report released Tuesday described some of the actions OPIC is taking in the emerging market of the Palestinian territories.

“U.S. agencies and implementing partners participate in various programs with the Palestine Investment Fund (PIF) or PIF-owned entities that include home mortgage financing, loan guarantees, and educational initiatives,” says the report. “First, the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) along with PIF and other entities have committed to lend $485 million to the Affordable Mortgage and Loan Company (AMAL) to support mortgages for low- and medium-income borrowers in the West Bank.

“OPIC has committed to lend about $313 million; PIF has committed about $72 million, and two banks account for the balance of the committed lending,” says the GAO. “However, as of April 2013, OPIC and PIF had not yet disbursed any funds. Second, OPIC and PIF are co-guarantors in a Loan Guarantee Facility (LGF) program in the West Bank, guaranteeing up to $110 million and $50 million in loans, respectively, to nine regional banks to support lending to small- and medium-sized enterprises.”

The PIF is an entity that was created by the Palestinian Authority president.

“PIF is governed by a board of directors and a general assembly appointed by the Palestinian Authority President, and manages investments throughout a number of sectors, including real estate and hospitality, infrastructure, finance, capital markets, small-and-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and manufacturing,” says the GAO.

What the heck is a 'low and medium income borrower in the West Bank'? We keep hearing that these 'poor Palestinians' make $2 per day. I wonder if they're bothering to check the borrowers' income levels and ability to repay. Maybe they should put Fannie and Freddie in charge.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Palestinians, US foreign aid, your taxes at work

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 8:58 PM 0 comments

Obama 'secretly' suspended aid to Egypt, Israel warns of consequences for 'peace process'

Both the Daily Beast and CNN are reporting that the Obama administration has quietly suspended military aid to Egypt. This is from the first link.

The U.S. government has decided privately to act as if the military takeover of Egypt was a coup, temporarily suspending most forms of military aid, despite deciding not to announce publicly a coup determination one way or the other, according to a leading U.S. senator.

In the latest example of its poorly understood Egypt policy, the Obama administration has decided to temporarily suspend the disbursement of most direct military aid, the delivery of weapons to the Egyptian military, and some forms of economic aid to the Egyptian government while it conducts a broad review of the relationship. The administration won’t publicly acknowledge all aspects of the aid suspension and maintains its rhetorical line that no official coup determination has been made, but behind the scenes, extensive measures to treat the military takeover of Egypt last month as a coup are being implemented on a temporary basis.

The office of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), the head of the Appropriations State and Foreign Operations Subcommittee, told The Daily Beast on Monday that military aid to Egypt has been temporarily cut off.

“[Senator Leahy’s] understanding is that aid to the Egyptian military has been halted, as required by law,” said David Carle, a spokesman for Leahy.

Can anyone tell me what the Obama administration's policy on Egypt is? You can have as many words as you want, but I guarantee you that the only thing you can explain about it is that they want Morsy and the Brotherhood back in power.

What could go wrong?

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Mohammed Morsy, Muslim Brotherhood, Saudi Arabia, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 11:31 AM 0 comments

Obama's personal Ramadamadan gift to the 'Palestinian Authority'

The Friday before last, when all was quiet, President Hussein Obama announced that he would once again ignore Congressional restrictions on aid to the 'Palestinian Authority.'

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 7040(b) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2012 (Division I, Public Law 112-74) (the "Act") as carried forward by the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2013 (Division F, Public Law 113-6) (the "CR"), I hereby certify that it is important to the national security interests of the United States to waive the provisions of section 7040(a) of the Act as carried forward by the CR, in order to provide funds appropriated to carry out chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act, as amended, to the Palestinian Authority.

And what's behind all that gobbledygook?

Citing the United States’ “national security interests,” the president signed an executive order providing $148 million to the Palestinian Authority. That is in addition to the $500 million Obama authorized just four months ago, also in apparent violation of congressional authority. At that time, Secretary of State John Kerry said he would like to see an additional $200 million go to the Palestinian group, according to The Washington Times.

“Some lawmakers oppose the aid, both because of sequestration budget cuts and the Palestinian Authority’s ties to the terrorist organization Hamas,” the Times reported.

...

Section 3 of the Palestinian Accountability Act provides in part, “No funds available to any United States Government department or agency to carry out the provisions of chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 for any fiscal year may be obligated or expended with respect to providing funds to the Palestinian Authority.”

...

An administration official referred to the $148 million in aid as, “the most immediate and efficient means of helping the PA maintain and build the foundations of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state.”

Yeah, sure. Paying salaries to imprisoned terrorists is “the most immediate and efficient means of helping the PA maintain and build the foundations of a viable, peaceful Palestinian state.” And the sun will rise in the West tomorrow morning.

Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, Palestinian Authority donors, prisoner salaries, US foreign aid

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 7:38 PM 0 comments