Abbas vows: Boycott of Trump will continue until US reverses policies
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas presides over a meeting of the Palestinian government in Ramallah, April 29, 2019. (Flash90)
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Abbas calls Trump "biased" towards Israel, and that his decisions have been "destructive to the peace process."
By World Israel News Staff
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas arrived in New York last weekend to attend the 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly. He wasted no time taking shots at President Donald Trump, calling him "biased" towards Israel and saying that his decisions have been "destructive to the peace process."
Among the moves by the Trump administration as being particularly harmful to peace negotiations, Abbas cited the transfer of the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem and the administration's freeze on financial aid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA).
UNRWA has for years been accused of perpetuating the Palestinian refugee problem rather than solving it.
In August, 2018, the State Department announced it was making the cuts to UNWRA, which it described as based on an "endlessly crisis-driven service provision model."
"The United States will no longer commit further funding to this irredeemably flawed operation," said State Department Spokesperson Heather Nauert at the time. Israel welcomed the move.
Also in August 2018, the U.S. cut $200 million in funding to other Palestinian projects in Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.
"[A]t the direction of the president, we will direct more than $200 million … in Economic Support Funds originally planned for programs in the West Bank and Gaza," a State Department official said. "Those funds will now address high-priority projects elsewhere."
Abbas said the boycott of the U.S. administration will continue until Trump decides to change his policies.
The PA has boycotted the Trump White House since December 2017 when the president announced his intention to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
The PA views Jerusalem, or at least a part, as the capital of its future Palestine state.
Abbas also rejected once again Israel's demand that he stop paying salaries to the families of terrorists who were either killed or incarcerated for acts of terrorism.
"We won't deduct one penny from the salaries of our prisoners, martyrs and the injured," he said.
Mahmoud AbbasPalestinian AuthorityPresident TrumpUN General Assembly
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