Barring a legislative fix, the annual $35 million in U.S. security assistance to the Palestinian Authority will expire on Feb. 1.
“We continue to work through the potential impact of the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act (ATCA),” a U.S. State Department spokesperson told JNS. “In consultation with partners, we have taken steps to wind down certain projects and programs in the West Bank and Gaza.”
The ATCA, signed into law in October, provides protections for American victims of international terrorism and subjects foreign governments that receive U.S. funding to American counter-terrorism laws.
The P.A. confirmed the move: “The money will be cut off,” senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat told AFP. “We don’t want to receive any money if this will take us to court.”
“We are not seeking anything. The Americans have made a decision,” he added. “But we are going to continue being part of fighting terror in the region.” [sic]
Additionally, the U.S. Agency for International Development’s operations in the West Bank and Gaza will shutter on Friday unless Congress acts.
“We have strict guidelines on who we work with, and that’s simply not just what we do, but across the U.S. government,” USAID administrator Mark Green told JNS last month.
Without elaborating, he said there “are guidelines that we follow. We follow administration policy.”
The Palestinian Authority pays hundreds of millions of shekels every year in salaries to terrorists captured by Israel.