U.S. To Investigate Obama’s $221m Palestinian Aid
Barack Obama, former U.S. President[/caption]
The U.S. State Department said Tuesday that they will conduct an investigation into former President, Barack Obama’s decision to give the Palestine a $221M aid last week.
Last Friday, hours to Donald Trump’s inauguration, former secretary of State, John Kerry announced that Obama’s administration will release the money to the Palestinian government.
The decision was widely criticized by Republicans, who believe Obama defied congressional oversight.
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Congress had approved funds for the Palestine Aid in the 2015 and 2016 budgets, but they were placed on holds by two major republican lawmakers, Ed Royce and Kay Granger, after allegations Palestine was seeking membership in international organizations.
Top member of the House Appropriations Committee, Kay Granger said: “I am deeply disappointed that President Obama defied congressional oversight and released $221 million to the Palestinian territories.
“I worked to make sure that no American taxpayer dollars would fund the Palestinian Authority unless very strict conditions were met. While none of these funds will go to the Palestinian Authority because of those conditions, they will go to programs in the Palestinian territories that were still under review by Congress.
“The Obama Administration’s decision to release these funds was inappropriate.”
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The State Department said it will review the aid and see if it falls in line with Trump’s administration policies. Trump is a big supporter of Israel, which has a stern relationship with Palestine.
The U.S. President is set to meet with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House next month.
