Graham, Van Hollen met with Erekat over pay-for-slay crisis
Mladenov: Two-states, economics must go hand-in-hand
Two leading US senators spoke this week with Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat over the crisis between Israel and the Palestinian Authority regarding pay-for-slay.
US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham authored the US Taylor Force Act that prevents the US from providing economic assistance to the PA until it halts its policy of providing terrorists and their families with monthly stipends. Graham is in Israel alongside US Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen, who was particularly vocal about his disagreement with the decision to halt US financial aid to USAID programs for Palestinians.
“It is counterproductive for the US government to cut off AID funding for Palestinian schools and hospitals, that only strengthens Hamas and sends the signal that we don’t have a working relationship with the PA,” he said.
Since the spring, Israel has withheld transferring tax revenues to the PA as it’s often the source of money that the PA provides to terrorists and their families. The PA in response has insisted that it will not receive any tax money, a move that has created an acute financial crisis which could bring down the PA.
While in Israel the two senators also met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UN Special Coordinator to the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov. “Thank you @LindseyGrahamSC, @ChrisVanHollen for our discussion on the #MiddleEast. A negotiated two-state solution between #Israelis and #Palestinians and economic development must go hand-in-hand. They are in the interest of all who want to stand up to radicalism in the region,” Mladenov said.
Earlier in the day KAN news reported that a deal may be in the works between Israel and the PA with regard to Israel’s policy of withholding the tax revenues.