A senior Palestinian official welcomed the transfer however mentioned the Palestinian management, primarily based in Ramallah, nonetheless hoped Mr. Biden would reverse a number of different measures carried out by the Trump administration.
“This is a positive, important and constructive step in the direction of rectifying Palestinian-American relations, which the Trump administration destroyed,” mentioned Ahmad Majdalani, the social improvement minister of the Palestinian Authority. “We believe it can be built upon by dealing with some other outstanding issues.”
Senator Jim Risch of Idaho and Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, each Republicans, criticized the transfer in a joint statement, saying that “resuming assistance to the West Bank and Gaza without concessions from the Palestinian Authority undermines U.S. interests.”
They added that they might scrutinize the bundle to guarantee it didn’t breach the Taylor Force Act, which prohibits the United States from offering direct financial support to the Palestinian Authority till it stops funds to households of Palestinians who commit violence towards Israelis or Americans.
Ned Price, the State Department’s spokesman, mentioned on Wednesday that the funding was “absolutely consistent” with American regulation. He indicated that any support going to the West Bank and Gaza can be accomplished by way of “development partners” and “not through governments or de facto government authorities.”
Many humanitarian teams criticized the Trump administration for having denied the United Nations company cash that it had been anticipating, which hurtled it into monetary disaster. Other international locations helped plug a few of the shortfall, however the company has continued to function underneath extreme monetary constraints.
United Nations officers had been clearly primed for information of the resumption of support earlier than it was formally introduced. Asked concerning the Biden administration’s plan, a United Nations spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, mentioned that “there were a number of countries that had greatly reduced or halted contributions,” and that “we hope the American decision will lead others to rejoin as UNRWA donors.”
