"The New York Times" reports today that the Obama administration intends to provide some $900 million to help rebuild Gaza after the Israeli incursion that ended last month. The paper quotes an administration official as saying that he aid would not go to Hamas but that it would be funneled through nongovernmental organizations.
"The New York Times" adds, "By seeking to aid Gazans but not Hamas, the administration is following the lead of the Bush administration, which sent money to Gaza through nongovernmental organizations. In December, it said it would give $85 million to the UB agency that provides aid to Palestinian refugees in the West Bank, Gaza, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria."
The officials added that the aid would include new spending as well as money already set aside for the Palestinian Authority, which will be formally announced next week when Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton travels to a Palestinian donors’ conference in Sharm el Sheik in Egypt. The donors’ conference in Egypt is seeking to raise close to $2 billion to rebuild Gaza.
Congress will have to approve the aid, and "The New York Times" notes that "many lawmakers are skittish about even appearing to help Hamas until it renounces violence and recognizes Israel’s right to exist."
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 24, 2009
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