Report: Biden quietly transferred $75 million to Palestinian Authority

Report: Biden quietly transferred $75 million to Palestinian Authority

The Biden administration is quietly ramping up assistance to the Palestinian Authority, according to The Associated Press.

The Biden administration is quietly ramping up assistance to the Palestinian Authority, The Associated Press reported on Wednesday. after former President Donald Trump cut off nearly all aid.

According to the report, last week, a day after the administration announced that it was giving $15 million to vulnerable Palestinian Arab communities to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic, it notified Congress without a public announcement that it will give the PA $75 million for economic support, to be used in part to regain their “trust and goodwill” after the Trump-era cuts.

The State Department declined to comment on the notification, and it wasn’t clear if the $75 million includes the $15 million in pandemic aid.

In general, the administration supports a resumption in aid to the Palestinians, State Department spokesman Ned Price said.

“We continue to believe that American support for the Palestinian people, including financial support, it is consistent with our values. It is consistent with our interests. Of course, it is consistent with the interests of the Palestinian people. It’s also consistent with the interests of our partner, Israel, and we’ll have more to say on that going forward,” he told reporters, according to AP.

Since taking office, the Biden administration has renewed ties with the PA that have been frozen since 2017.

The PA had been boycotting the US in protest of President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital and the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to the city.

However, the Biden administration is planning to roll back many of Trump’s policies related to Israel and the PA, including the reopening of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) office in Washington, as well as the consulate in Jerusalem.

A recently released document reveals that the Biden administration is crafting a plan aimed at “resetting” US ties with the PA.

The US vision, according to the memo, is “to advance freedom, security, and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians in the immediate term.”