(Congressional Research Service-Federation of American Scientists) Jim Zanotti - Since the establishment of limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza in the mid-1990s, the U.S. government has committed over $4 billion in bilateral assistance to the Palestinians, who are among the world's largest per capita recipients of international foreign aid. From FY2008 to the present, annual U.S. bilateral assistance to the Palestinians has averaged over $600 million. Additionally, the U.S. is the largest single-state donor to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA). A May 2011 power-sharing agreement between Fatah and Hamas has raised concerns among some Members of Congress about continuing U.S. budgetary and security assistance to a PA government that could be subject to the approval of a U.S.-designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (Hamas) that claims to reserve the right to violently oppose Israel's existence. The Fatah-Hamas power-sharing or "unity" government will not be eligible for U.S. aid if Hamas is included in the government and does not change its stance towards Israel - possibly subject to some limited exceptions.
2011-06-27 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive