WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States plans to offer more than $900 million to help rebuild Gaza after Israel's invasion and to strengthen the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, U.S. officials said on Monday.
The money, which needs U.S. congressional approval, will be distributed through U.N. and other bodies and not via the militant group Hamas, which rules Gaza, said one official.
"This money is for Gaza and to help strengthen the Palestinian Authority. It is not going to go to Hamas," said the official, who asked not to be named as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton planned to announce the funding at a donors' conference in Egypt next week.
Neither the United States nor Israel have direct contact with the Islamist Hamas movement which runs Gaza and remains formally committed to the destruction of the Jewish state.
The official said the pledge was a mix of money already earmarked for the Palestinians and some new funding.
"The package is still shaping up," he said, when asked for specifics over how the money would be spent and a breakdown of old and new funding.
In December, the former Bush administration said it would give $85 million to the U.N. agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
The March 2 donors' conference in Egypt's Sharm el-Sheikh resort aims to raise humanitarian and rebuilding funds for Gaza after Israel's invasion last December to suppress rocket fire against its cities.
Preliminary estimates put damage from the offensive, in which 1,300 Palestinians died, at nearly $2 billion.
Clinton's bid to get "substantial" funds could face an uphill battle in Congress because Hamas continues to rule Gaza and the U.S. focus is on its own souring economy.
BOOST FOR ABBAS
Part of the goal of the new funding is to boost the Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, which controls the occupied West Bank.
The United States wants Abbas's PA to play a central role in the reconstruction effort in Gaza, hoping this will increase its influence in the Hamas stronghold. Washington is also putting pressure on other donors to bolster Abbas.
"We call on donor countries to focus their pledges to meet the Palestinian Authority's priorities, including budget support, and on projects that can be funded through the Palestinian Authority and other existing, trusted mechanisms," said a State Department official.
The quartet of Middle East mediators -- the United States, the European Union, Russia and the United Nations -- are expected to meet on the sidelines of the Egyptian conference where they will work on strategy on Gaza, U.S. officials said.
After attending the conference in Egypt, Clinton is expected to go to Israel and the West Bank -- a public demonstration of Obama's promise to make Arab-Israeli peacemaking a foreign policy priority.
Clinton's special envoy to the region, George Mitchell, will be there this week trying to revive stalled Palestinian statehood talks complicated both by Hamas and political uncertainty in Israel after last week's election.
10 comments:
I fail to see the sense behind this proposed action. The United States is in the middle of a global recession. And with our debt rising steadily, the last thing we need to be doing is spending more money. Also, I am fairly certain that the money WILL find its way into the hands of Hamas. Giving money to Gaza is the same as giving it to the controllers of Gaza. Another repercussion of this proposal is the possible misperception of Abbas as a U.N. puppet. This could cause even more unrest, exacerbating an already serious situation.
This is absolutely aweful. What happened to the policy of not supporting terrorists? Does the government not suspect at all that some of the funds will end up in anti-american hands? This is so vexatious.
I do feel that as a wealthy nation if we can help, we should do so. But currently, we cannot help! Our own country has quite enough financial trouble as it is. If these funds were possibly, somehow, given directly to US companies and those companies would be in charge of the rebuilding, then it would be beneficial to the US. I just do not think that the UN or a PA leader will hold the US's interests above their own. We currently must stabilize our own backyard before we can give away much-needed funds to an unruly, angry, violent and vengeful neighbor.
I respect Obama and his administration for trying to make peace in Gaza, but think about it - there has been basically nonstop conflict in this region for over two millenia. Peace will only be temporary if it comes to Gaza, however terrible the fighting is.
As far as permanent reconstruction in the area goes, I totally support it. It's not the innocent civilians who are shooting and blowing up the innocent civilians. >_<
I dont know what all needs to be done or fixed in the middle east to bring peace and make it possible for foreign countries to pull their forces out. Funding is obviously always going to be a question and problem no matter what is happening, but doesnt really seem like anyone in the world has billions of dollars as pocket change. Not saying that Gaza doesn't need aid, just not to throw money like its nothing...which seems to be a popular trait of our government.
Although I see the good this can do for other nations of the world, I must question the motives. Why use so much money to help rebuild Gaza (or attempt to, at any rate, since it's impossible to just assume it will happen) when the US is in a recession and we have a majority of our own population out of work and hungry? I'm all for sharing the wealth and helping each other, but sometimes you have to focus on your own people first. Giving money to another country, regardless of the why, can't always be seen as a good idea. For all we know, we really are supporting terrorists. I think the US just needs to take a break from being the guardian angel and take care of ourself.
This is ridiculous. We're basically giving money to a known enemy of America and our Ally, Israel. We helped set Israel up, promised to stand by them, and now we're giving the people who want to destroy that state the means to do it. Does it matter that they need the money? Hamas will take it and kill more Israelis. Maybe Palestine's government should try to step up to the plate and help the Palestinians. For once I agree with Johanna. How is this in any way beneficial to America? Our government should remember the money that "went missing" in Afghanistan. Hamas is more ruthless when dealing with Israel than the Afghani government is when dealing with America. If they know they can get money to fund the destruction of Israel, they WILL. And why are we helping rebuild it? Israel had a darn good reason to invade and now we're going to go behind our ALLY'S back and help undo what they just did. Also, we want to try to boost the popularity of Gaza's rulers when "Hamas continues to rule Gaza". Our economy is going downhill, Gaza is ruled by a group that hates us and our allies, and we're trying to send them millions of dollars. This is a brilliant move by our new regime. Shouldn't the fact that Bush wanted to do it prove how stupid it is. This government needs to stop thinking everyone will play nice if the UN distributes the money. Hamas doesn't respect the UN. Hamas will rob whoever the UN sends to distribute the money. Hamas wants nothing more than to Kill ISRAELIS AND WE ARE GIVING THEM MONEY. I can't wait to see what the next brilliant move made by this "new" administration will be.
It is indeed GOOD to help them, but is it RIGHT for our country? With all the unemployment and collapse after collapse of businesses, is it beneficial for us to waste so much money on an area that is not ours? I think, no. I hope that the government makes the right decision for this situation.
~Isaac
The u.s. simply does not have the money for a venture such as this. we are in the middle of a recession ourselves. what is to say that the money we send to gaza will not find its way into terrorist's hands. How did all the money get donated in the first place if their is no set plane? i do not think we need to simple let the Middle East alone to stew but sending money we do not ave to places controlled by anti-american forces, is not a good coice on our part
It's great that the US wants to help rebuild Gaza but I don't think that at this moment we are in the position to do so. I can't understand why we are unnecessarily spending money when our own country desperately needs it. We are in so much debt that we really cannot afford to do this at the moment. Also ,I doubt that some of this money will not end up in the hands of Hamas. They are the ones who rule Gaza so I can pretty much guarantee that they will find some way to do so.
Generally helping others in need would be good, in this case why is the U.S. continuing to cripple its economy. If we already have an economy that is struggling then why would we need to give out money to rebuild Gaza when stabilizing our economy should be first priority. Also the more we aide others lessens our strength as a nation which could possibly open the door for an attack on our nation when we wouldn't expect it.
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