US congress is preparing to try to slash aid to the Palestinians should Palestinian President Yasser Arafat unilaterally declare a state on September 13th the Camp, reported The Jerusalem Post, quoting congressional and Israeli sources.
The Palestinians receive more than $100 million annually in US assistance.
One congressman, Jerrold Nadler, was quoted as saying that the congressman supports the idea, but noted he would wait to see the outcome of the talks before deciding whether to push the initiative through Congress, said the daily.
His spokesman told the daily "should they fail at Camp David, Nadler will reevaluate what he can do. We're not doing anything until we see what happens with the talks."
One congressional aide said "Jewish members had persuaded Nadler to lay off the plan until the summit concludes, but said support for cutting Palestinian assistance would be wide on the Hill should Arafat declare a state unilaterally."
The US opposes a unilateral declaration of statehood, fearing it could spark violence between Israel and the Palestinians, added the paper - Albawaba.com
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
