Republicans threaten showdown over UN funding in Gaza

[Jefferson23]

October 22, 2014

Two hawkish senators on Oct. 22 slammed Secretary of State John Kerry’s $156 million pledge to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, foreshadowing a showdown over funding when Congress returns after the midterm elections.

The UN Refugee and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has long been in Republicans’ cross-hairs, in part because it recognizes 5 million descendants of the Palestinians expelled from their lands in 1948 as refugees. During this summer’s fighting in Gaza, the agency caused a bipartisan uproar when it turned over to the local authorities Hamas rockets that it had discovered stored at three of its schools.

In a letter to Kerry, Sens. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and Mark Kirk, R-Ill., said they were “dumbfounded” by the State Department pledge announced Oct. 12 as part of the Cairo donor conference to rebuild Gaza. The United States is UNRWA’s largest bilateral donor.

“This blind support sends the wrong message to an institution that has already become far too dependent on the largesse of the American taxpayer and repeatedly failed to ensure that its facilities and resources are not used by terrorists who wish to sow chaos and instability rather than aid the Palestinian people,” they wrote.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/10/republican-showdown-unrwa-funding-kerry-rubio-kirk.html#ixzz3Gyg4JsNS

[kysrsoze]

1. Spoken like true, disgusting Republicans. It's OK to pay for Israeli weaponry though.

[Turbineguy]

2. Ughhh... yeah!

Shut down the US government. Just what Hamas would want you to do!

[procon]

3. Where's the equal criticism?

Why aren't these “dumb(founded)” Republicans mouthing the same complain about the US's "blind support" of everything Israel does? Until we stop the carte blanche enabling that keeps Israel "dependent on the largesse of the American taxpayer" they will only continue to "sow chaos and instability rather than aid the Palestinian people" and never seek a fair and equal peaceful settlement.

[oberliner]

4. Israel is an ally, Gaza is run by a US designated terrorist organization

I would say that might account for the distinction.

[procon]

5. Yes, that's a convenient political rationale.

Whenever we've needed someone else to do our dirty work, the US has a long and sordid history of dealing with all kinds of terrorist groups and governments... until they get big enough to bite the hand that fed them. Likewise, we have no problem in criticizing other allies when they dare to cross us.

Israel is not immune from criticism.