WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is withholding more than half the funding that the United States generally has provided to a United Nations agency that aids Palestinian refugees, officials said Tuesday.
Heather Nauert, the State Department spokeswoman, said the United States would provide $60 million to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency but would withhold $65 million “for future consideration.”
Ms. Nauert said that the decision was intended to encourage other countries to increase aid, as well as to promote reform at the relief agency — and that it was not intended to be a punitive move against Palestinians. But she refused to comment when asked if the funding shortfall was linked to President Trump’s threat on Jan. 2 to end the aid after Palestinian leaders said the United States should no longer play a role in peace talks with Israel.
The withholding was denounced by the Palestinians and welcomed by Israel. “Once again, the U.S. administration proves its complicity with the Israeli occupation by attempting to remove another permanent status issue off the table,” said Hanan Ashrawi of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee.
Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, said the United Nations Relief and Works Agency “has proven time and again to be an agency that misuses the humanitarian aid of the international community and instead supports anti-Israel propaganda, perpetuates the plight of Palestinian refugees and encourages hate.”
