Obama Administration officials defended US aid to the Palestinian Authority on Tuesday, telling Congress the funds are critical for progress on Israeli-Palestinian peace process. “Our assistance gives us leverage,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Jacob Walles while testifying before a House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia.
“There are practical benefits… improvement in security and helping develop institutions needed for a two-state solution,” he said
The hearing, held to reassess funding for the PA, comes days after both the House and Senate passed resolutions urging the White House to cut aid to the Palestinians if they followed through with plans to seek statehood from the United Nations in September. The Subcommittee also questioned the willingness of the PA to work on the peace process because of its recent reconciliation with Hamas.
Mr. Walles said the Administration requested $400 million for USAID projects and $150 million for security training programs in 2011.
Sources close to the issue told Al Arabiya that the Obama Administration is not yet seriously concerned about losing funding for the PA, and that the Congressional resolutions are aimed more at pressuring the Palestinians not to take their bid to the UN.
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