Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have encouraged the US to slash Washington’s donation to the budget of UNRWA, the UN aid agency for Palestinian refugees, Haaretz reported on Monday. However, Israeli security officials fear that this could spark a new Palestinian uprising, mainly in Gaza.
#US Cuts over $200m in aid to #Gaza and West Bank https://t.co/nHkfSYCcYa via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/s1rT11YVzF
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) August 26, 2018
The decision of the US administration run by Donald Trump to cut economic aid to the Palestinians, reduce funding for UNRWA and possibly redefine the status of most Palestinian refugees has the potential to increase tension considerably.
According to Netanyahu’s office, the continued existence of UNRWA perpetuates the refugee issue, which Israel would like to disappear altogether. International law makes it clear that all refugees and the Palestinians are no exception, have the right to return to their homeland.
#US Aid Cuts Designed ‘to End #Palestinians Claims to Jerusalem’ https://t.co/nuj8Sk1Lqn via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/c36XKQgZYw
— Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) August 26, 2018
Israel’s membership of the UN was and remains conditional upon the Palestinian refugees being allowed to return home. The US move to redefine them would reduce the number of Palestinian refugees from the current 5 million to around 500,000 people.
Israeli TV report says that the Trump administration will shortly not only explicitly reject Palestinian refugees' right of return but deny that most of the refugees even exist. https://t.co/pHWAQWAbm8
— Ben White (@benabyad) August 26, 2018
Haaretz said that touching these three issues would “have potentially disastrous effects,” citing remarks and warnings made to the Israeli cabinet by defense officials. This, the newspaper reported, explains Netanyahu’s unusual silence about Trump’s moves on the refugee issue.
Ramzy Baroud (Al Jazeera): Israelis tried to destroy and erase my Palestinian village, Beit Daras, but they did not and will not succeed. https://t.co/5Vv55usWgS
— Ramzy Baroud (@RamzyBaroud) August 17, 2018
The Israeli Prime Minister normally celebrates whatever Trump does or says about the Palestinians, as happened with the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the US Embassy move to the Holy City. The Israeli leader also praised the US withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
