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Politics : Israel to U.S. : Now Deal with Syria and Iran -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ed Huang who wrote (7776)	3/26/2005 4:56:47 PM
From: Crimson Ghost	Respond to of 22250

Congress trying to "out Zionist" Bush. Congress Defies Bush, Snubs Palestinians on Aid Issue Barbara Ferguson, Arab News WASHINGTON, 26 March 2005 — Congress has snubbed both the Bush administration and the Palestinian Authority by approving a foreign aid package that prohibits any direct assistance to the Palestinian Authority. Remarkably, AIPAC, the pro-Israel lobbying powerhouse, was called in by the White House to mediate talks involving the administration and congressmen from both parties. Congress approved the $200 million in aid to Palestinians, but with the condition it be channeled to non-governmental projects outside the control of the PA. The package was part of an $81 billion emergency bill to bolster military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. The House of Representatives approved the legislation 388 to 44 last week. It now must be presented to the Senate for approval. Congressional sources told reporters that most of the opposition came from House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Texas, who threatened to cut all aid to the Palestinians out of the bill. Jewish community officials are said to be worried that DeLay will attempt to undercut American and Israeli attempts to achieve a two-state solution. In addition to his close Jewish ties — DeLay has worked with the Zionist Organization of America, which adamantly opposes Israel’s Gaza disengagement plan and regularly criticizes Israeli and American efforts to work with, and support, the PA President, Mahmoud Abbas, Delay is also an evangelical Christian who opposes the creation of a Palestinian state. “DeLay became more Jewish than the chief rabbi — and he was not going to let it through,” Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-NY, who supported the bill, told reporters. That’s when staffers said members of the appropriations subcommittee asked AIPAC to broker compromise language that would persuade DeLay’s demands while allowing the administration to have the money. The theory being that it would be difficult for DeLay to oppose something that America’s top pro-Israel lobby had endorsed. “The problem is that the White House would like to reward the PA by giving it a portion of the direct aid. If the Congress says no, then they lose this diplomatic tool to try to influence the Palestinians,” said Peter Gubser, president of the Washington-based ANERA, the American Near East Refugee Aid. Gubser said AIPAC has “generally been positive” about aid to the Palestinians. “The attitude of the Israeli government is that this assistance is valuable; and AIPAC is following the line of the Israeli government,” he added. ANERA’s chief said the $200 million aid package is an increase from what US had made available to the Palestinians: “In the last 2-3 years, the amount has been $75 million annually, so this is a substantial extra sum of money for the Palestinians.” Although small when compared to the $5 billion of annual US aid given to Israel, Gubser said the money is greatly needed to pump up “programs of the American NGOs on the ground.