US cuts funding to Palestinian Authority

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

On 26/08/2018 at 5:53 PM, RoofGardener said:

It's a curious thing... the foreign aid to Palestine comes almost entirely from the USA, and European countries. France, for example, gives more than Saudi Arabia. (which - in itself - is by far and away the largest Arab donor). 

The Organisation of Islamic Co-operation bloc of countries frequently cite Palestine as being the most important issue in the Muslim world. But they contribute virtually nothing to UNRWA, or other Palestinian Aid channels.

I approve of Donald Trump's actions; it is time we stopped funding Palestinian terrorism, and in particular the obscenity of the payment of  stipends to Palestinian terrorist prisoners

No one cares what happens to the pawns.

[odas]

On 27/08/2018 at 5:45 PM, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

No one cares what happens to the pawns.

Correctly said. The US/EU "fund" palestinians but are quiet while they are murdered. The arab states do not fund them but are also quiet when palestinians are being murdered. As you said SWoH, palestinians are and have been always just pawns in the hands of foreign politics. Not only noone cares about their deaths but we have some here who are amused by that.

[odas]

On 25/08/2018 at 11:14 AM, and then said:

As with so many others in his world, it's the only life they have and they don't mind surrendering all honesty and dignity for the chance of bringing down a president they didn't want.  They keep acting like tantrum-throwing children and someday they're apt to really get spanked.

Why is it that you always talk about violence, killing, " asuming roomtemp"...what is wrong with you???

[aztek]

On 8/27/2018 at 5:45 PM, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

No one cares what happens to the pawns.

not only that, but pawns never seen a dollar from those millions. they wont see any difference

[+and-then]

1 minute ago, odas said:

Why is it that you always talk about violence, killing, " asuming roomtemp"...what is wrong with you???

Why, Odas, I didn't realize that you were concerned about my mental health   Seriously, though, I don't think you could find a friend, family member or mental health professional that would tell you I'm a real threat to anyone.  I'm just a typical southern male of a certain age who is fed up and angry (at times) with a world that seems completely out of control.  I think you seem to actually be bothered on some level by my willingness to be brutally honest about what I believe.  That's your right and I have no problem with it.  If you were totally honest with yourself, you'd have to admit that your primary disquiet with my personality is all about my support of the state of Israel.  How intellectually honest are you when you use one aspect of a person's beliefs to characterize everything else about them?  

I'm sure you could find a few members here who would agree with your seeming belief that I'm either evil, crazy or just mean without cause.  I'd like to think that most here who've read my thoughts for these nearly 7 years now, wouldn't agree with that assessment.  If my bluntness about violence and death actually causes you distress, I apologize, sincerely.  I'm actually not the potential mass murderer you think me capable of being.  I carry a deadly little pocket pistol when I'm out walking nights on country roads and wouldn't hesitate to defend my LIFE with it if (God forbid) the need arose.  That makes me human, not evil.  I don't wake up each day trying to find hateful things to say about people I don't agree with.  I CERTAINLY DON'T hate Palestinians for wanting the same things that all humans desire.  I take no pleasure in hearing of the deaths of children whose innocence was stolen from them by truly evil Islamist fundamentalist thugs in Palestine.  Israelis have done in Palestine what national entities have done for millennia.  They founded a nation.  They chose that land because they have a VERY long and archaeologically undisputed connection to it.

Despite what you believe about me, I can assure you that it would make me happy to see Jew and Arab live side by side without the bigotry, bias and outright hatred that has separated them for so long.  Again, if you are honest with yourself you have to admit that there is a vibrant segment of Israeli politics that have tried for decades to find a peaceful solution to the problem of coexisting in the land.  They have a strong political presence and many followers who desire peace with the Palestinians.  In truth, my guess is that MANY of those same Palestinians would love to lay down the guns and try to build happy, productive lives for their children and grandchildren and even to come to an understanding of the ancient hatred between themselves and the Jews.  But we don't see them forming political parties or agitating against the PA or the Hamas because they live in totalitarian squalor while the warlords use the Prophet's words to enslave them.

Crazy old hater that I am, I still fervently believe that a peace is coming to that region.  I think it might happen before Trump leaves office.  For the first time in my life - and I've been reading and watching the news about Israel's struggles since 1970 or so- the political dynamic in that region has shifted in favor of reconciliation or at least cooperation between Israel and several of the Sunni Arab states due to the threat Iran poses and the understanding by those leaders that without Israel's firepower, the whole region will eventually come under Iranian hegemony.  It is a marriage of convenience and won't last, but it will cause the Palestinian leadership to grudgingly sign a peace deal.  They will tell their people it's actually just hudnah but I believe the Palestinians will welcome it and their improved lot in life.  

Finally, my vocabulary and tendency to express my frustration and anger with the insanity of the world with references to violence are a product of 50+ years of watching how human beings settle their differences and how they try to enforce their will on others with violence.  I speak of reality and nothing more.  The older I get, the less patience I have with those who refuse to just be honest about the world and where our species is inevitably heading.  The clock has been running down on our darkest side since August 6, 1945.

[The Caspian Hare]

Cutting UNRWA funding could cause problems in Jordan where there are refugees. If there is no hope of return to ISrael/or hypothetical future Palestine state they will remain in Jordan where they could cause demographic upset or political conflict.

https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/US-dislikes-UNRWA-Palestinian-refugee-definition-but-not-replacing-it-566202

Quote

The US decision to withhold some $300 million earmarked this year for UNRWA, as well as statements the US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has made, have sparked speculation that the US might attempt to redefine Palestinian refugee status as it relates to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It’s a move that would also have a de facto implication on the right of return as a negotiating issue.

 

[RoofGardener]

Well, he's done it

Trump has asked the State Department to cut off ALL funding to UNRWA, pending discussions about the structure and works of UNRWA. 

About time too. Since its inception, UNRWA has done nothing but perpetuate the Palestinian refugee crisis. Consider that the main UN body for dealing with refugee issues - the UNHCR - looks after ALL refugees in the world EXCEPT the Palestinians, and it has successfully resolved all of its crises. In contrast, UNRWA - with three times the manpower (30,000 staff, most of which are Palestinians) - has solved NOTHING, but merely perpetuated the 'refugee' issue, and acted as an annual source of money and employment to the Palestinians. 

Well, the Palestinians are now learning that if you bite the hand that feeds you, you may stop being fed.  Whether they will actually LEARN from this event is another matter entirely. 

Edited September 1, 2018 by RoofGardener

[RoofGardener]

ZOMG.. it just gets better and better. 

The US today formally announced that it was upgrading its "suspension" of aid to Pakistan into a full-fledged "withdrawal" of aid. That is a wopping $300 Million dollars PER YEAR that the Islamists will no longer be getting from the USA. 

In tandem with the withdrawal of $200 million per year direct aid to the Palestinians, plus another $300 million withdrawn from UNRWA, that is almost a BILLION dollars that the USA will not be giving to Islamist terrorists EVERY YEAR. 

Well done Mr President  

 

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

There's going to be another "mysterious" interruption to Saudi oil in the next few days. 
Because Trump's made looking after the Palistinians the problem of other Muslim nations rather than the US and they won't like that.
Ohh and they'll be a sob story about hosptials that have to close now because of the loss of funding.

[RoofGardener]

42 minutes ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

There's going to be another "mysterious" interruption to Saudi oil in the next few days. 
Because Trump's made looking after the Palistinians the problem of other Muslim nations rather than the US and they won't like that.
Ohh and they'll be a sob story about hosptials that have to close now because of the loss of funding.

I have no doubt there WILL be stories about hospital closures, Sir Wearer of Hats. Or at least medical centers. And schools. 

But then, if the PLO stopped paying prisoners (and by doing so, encouraging terrorist attacks), they could afford to run schools and medical centers themselves. (the Martyrs fund comes to around $300 million per year... or about half of all the international aid that the PLO receives). 

As for oil supply interruption.... I dunno. I doubt it; the Saudi's simply don't care enough about the Palestinians to interrupt supplies, and damage their own economy ? 

Edited September 3, 2018 by RoofGardener

[Sir Wearer of Hats]

1 hour ago, RoofGardener said:

I have no doubt there WILL be stories about hospital closures, Sir Wearer of Hats. Or at least medical centers. And schools. 

But then, if the PLO stopped paying prisoners (and by doing so, encouraging terrorist attacks), they could afford to run schools and medical centers themselves. (the Martyrs fund comes to around $300 million per year... or about half of all the international aid that the PLO receives). 

As for oil supply interruption.... I dunno. I doubt it; the Saudi's simply don't care enough about the Palestinians to interrupt supplies, and damage their own economy ? 

I think they care more about telling the US who is the boss and punishing them for not following orders.

[+and-then]

2 minutes ago, Sir Wearer of Hats said:

I think they care more about telling the US who is the boss and punishing them for not following orders.

Maybe, but they aren't stupid or suicidal and they understand who the real threat is.  That's why they are starting to work with Israel.  That is a dangerous gambit but I think the house of Saud realizes that if they can't stop an Iranian proxy there's no way they could handle Iran alone.

[Varelse]

The new guy running Saudi is said to not be a Palestinian supporter. His attitude to them has been more of a "you deal with your problems". Others in KSA and mostly Arab Islamic countries not so much though. 

I'm glad we're cutting off all aid, the Pals need to get that from their neighbors if the neighbors really care so much. PLO and Hammas are flush with cash but they won't share it, they're saving it instead of using it on their people for some stupid religious reason.  At their current pace Palestine will be completely gone in 20 years and they'll all be forced to flee to refugee settlements across the ME or wherever else they'll be allowed.

The recent Israeli settlements everyone is so up in arms about may be wrong but that was land no one ever, ever used before the Israeli's came in and cleared it for housing and farming. I think they should pay for it with goods and services that can't translate to gun money. Other than that Palestinians and certain Muslims need to learn that this patch of holy land will never be under Islamic rule in their or the great great grandkids lifetime. If it does it will be so radioactive you'll need a lead suit to get around. The best they can hope for is to stop acting like death cult a-holes and maybe Israel will let them visit the sites again. Or they can keep dying 100 to 1. 

 

Edited September 12, 2018 by Varelse