Punitive measures taken against the Palestinians by the Trump Administration, including the cutting of UN aid and the closure of the Palestinian consulate in Washington, has not hampered peace efforts, the US president’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner has said.
Speaking to the New York Times on the 25 anniversary of the Oslo Accords, Kushner argued that the US had taken brave stances against Palestinian demands.
Jared Kushner tells @nytimes that Trump's Israel/Palestine policy is about "stripping away 'false realities … that people worship'." The interview didn't specify which realities he deemed false. https://t.co/0Pz0wTM0rn However …
— Ron Skolnik (@Ron_Skolnik) September 14, 2018
He said:
“There were too many false realities that were created — that people worship — that I think needed to be changed. All we’re doing is dealing with things as we see them and not being scared out of doing the right thing. I think, as a result, you have a much higher chance of actually achieving a real peace.”
Since the election of President Donald Trump, US aid to Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA has been effectively wiped out, submerging the UN branch into its worst financial crisis. Last week, Washington further slashed $200 million of allocated aid to the Palestinian Authority, as well as $25 million meant to support six hospitals in East Jerusalem.
Trump's trio – Kushner, Greenblatt and Friedman – are committing foreign policy arson: Opinion @ShushanAPN https://t.co/uF0wHYpjaD
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) September 7, 2018
Kushner posited that the Palestinian leadership deserved the aid cuts for their reaction to the US’ decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving the US embassy to the city from Tel Aviv.
He said:
“No one is entitled to America’s foreign aid.”
"Citing his experience as a dealmaker, Mr. Kushner said he was not thrown by the posturing of the Palestinian Authority." Signed, the guy who bought 666 5th Ave. https://t.co/IZ8SjpAls9
— paul mcleary (@paulmcleary) September 14, 2018
He added that the funds that went to UNRWA and other causes were being misused.
The US has been working on the second edition of its proposed “deal of the century” since last summer after its initial release was met with criticism.
The US is now using life & death to try and coerce Palestinians. After cutting off aid to Palestinian refugees, the US is now cutting off “critical, lifesaving treatment for patients” after Trump cuts $25 million in aid for Palestinian hospitals https://t.co/Ko15dIng0a
— Ayman Mohyeldin (@AymanM) September 9, 2018
The details have not been released, but preliminary reports indicate that the second peace deal will also not call for a two-state solution and will not urge a “fair and just solution” to the issue of Palestinian refugees looking to return, as previous proposals have done.
Last month, it was revealed that Kushner has been pushing for the refugee status of thousands of Palestinians to be removed in an effort to halt the majority of UNRWA’s operations.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
