Trump threatens to cut off US aid to Palestinian authority

President Donald Trump threatened to cut off US aid to the Palestinian Authority after its leaders said the president’s unilateral decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel disqualified America as a Middle East peace mediator. Trump said in a series of tweets Tuesday that the US pays “the Palestinians HUNDRED OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS a year” yet gets “no appreciation or respect.” He added that “with the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?” The White House communications staff declined to comment other than to refer reporters back to the president’s tweet.