The Trump administration is weighing a hefty cut to U.S. aid to the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, possibly slashing the first installment of 2018 by more than half.
President Donald Trump hasn’t yet signed off on a final amount, but he is leaning toward sending just $60 million of the planned $125 million to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), reports the Associated Press, citing U.S. officials. The White House is also considering attaching conditions to future U.S. contributions, such as requiring Palestinians to revive negotiations with Israel before receiving more money.
The Department of State said over the weekend that funding levels are still “under review.” A decision on the matter could come as early as Tuesday, according to the AP.
Trump had previously threatened to withhold U.S. funds to Palestinians in order to force them to restart moribund peace talks. Earlier this month, he publicly questioned the wisdom of sending more money to Palestinians, who he said “don’t even want to negotiate” a peace settlement in the wake of his decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
“We have taken Jerusalem, the toughest part of the negotiation, off the table, but Israel, for that, would have had to pay more,” the president tweeted. “But with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?”