U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs
04/07/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/07/2021 15:55
Meeks Issues Statement on the Resumption of Aid to the Palestinian People
Washington, DC- Today, Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, issued the following statement regarding the resumption of U.S. assistance to Palestine, including $75 million in economic and development assistance in the West Bank and Gaza, $10 million for peacebuilding programs through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and $150 million in humanitarian assistance for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA):
'I applaud Secretary Blinken and the Biden Administration for announcing its resumption of U.S. assistance to the Palestinian people. The resumption of assistance to the Palestinian people, in accordance with all U.S laws and policy goals, is critical in promoting the welfare immediate and future welfare of the Palestinian people. Today, as COVID-19 and economic suffering grip the West Bank and Gaza, this assistance will undoubtedly improve lives, address food insecurity, and bolster a struggling hospital system. Our resumed security assistance will aid law and order and help prevent terrorism. Additionally, our support for UNRWA will keep Palestinian children in the classroom but out of Hamas run schools.
'The overall effort to reset the U.S. relationship with Palestine is in full accordance with American values and interests, as well as our allies. Israel's security and long-term survival as a Jewish state is best assured by a two-state solution negotiated between the parties, with the United States serving as a key partner in that process. I look forward to working with the State Department, as well as our friends in Israel and the Palestinian Territories to build upon this programming and move us closer to a lasting solution to the conflict.'
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