RNA - Congress had initially approved the Palestinian funding in budget years 2015 and 2016, with the US Agency for International Development sending the Palestinians $355 million in 2015.
However, at least two Republican lawmakers Ed Royce of California, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Kay Granger of Texas, who sits on the House Appropriations Committee blocked the funds to the Palestinian Authority.
Congressional holds are usually adhered to by the US President but are not legally binding after funds have been allocated.
Saudis stop assistance
Last October, the Saudi regime stopped its $20 million monthly payment to the Palestinian Authority. The PA announced that the Saudi government gave no reason for cutting off the funding, which began six months ago.
However, sources said the funding cut was due to a falling out between Riyadh and PA President Mahmoud Abbas.
In an unprecedented move early last year, Abbas said that Arab leaders should stop meddling in internal Palestinian affairs. This criticism was surprising since the PA depends on Arab states financial support to stay afloat.
Meanwhile last August, Qatar’s Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Bin Khalifa released $31 million to pay salaries of total of 23,800 Palestinian employees working in the besieged Gaza Strip. According to sources, these payments were made in coordination with the Palestinian Authority and the Israeli regime.
Palestinians soliciting for Funds
Palestinian Authority officials and leaders of other Palestinian groups have been visiting some Arab states especially Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar to solicit for cash for civil servants and other employees.
Some Arab media outlets have revealed that PA chief Mahmoud Abbas was heard saying unequivocally in Ramallah that he supported Saudi aggression on Yemen only because of the cash handouts he received from the Saudi regime.
Regardless of whether the Palestinian Authority will eventually obtain the cash released by Obama during his last days in office, the fact that the decision was made to assist the PA represents a failure for the Israeli regime's hawkish premier Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to some analysts, the weakening of the Palestinian Authority due to its inability to pay its civil servants presents a challenge to the Israeli regime which might be left with no option but to provide cash for the Abbas-led authority. This is because a weakened PA will lead to security deterioration in the West Bank and will diminish the strength of factions backing normalization talks with Tel Aviv. A weakened Palestinian Authority will further strengthen Palestinians groups pursuing armed resistance against the Israeli regime.
Despite the fact that a weakened Palestinian authority will strengthen the resistance movements in Palestine, Arab regimes opposed to armed Palestinian resistance continue to withhold assistance to the PA. Does this situation herald and end to the reign of Mahmoud Abbas as the Palestinian Authority president?
Post-Abbas Era
There are reports that several Arab countries have been pushing for senior Fatah official Mohammed Dahlan to take over Mahmoud Abbas as the PA leader.
This plan is reportedly backed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Jordan. Some of these Arab states are also coordinating with the Israeli regime for the upcoming major shakeup of the Palestinian leadership. Arab, Western and Israeli regime officials believe Abbas has outlived his usefulness and intend to replace him with another official not committed to armed resistance for the liberation of Palestine.
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