Trump threatens to cut Palestinian funds over ‘disrespect’

Donald Trump has challenged Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to start talking about peace or risk losing hundreds of millions of dollars in US aid.

In a dramatic first day at the Davos summit, Mr Trump met­ ­Israeli leader Benjamin Netan­yahu and questioned why the US should continue giving aid to the Palestinians if they were not willing to participate in peace talks.

His comments came after the Palestinians refused to meet Vice-President Mike Pence when he visited Israel last week in protest at the US decision to recognise the disputed city of Jerusalem as ­Israel’s capital.

“When they disrespected us a week ago by not allowing our great Vice-President to see them and we give them hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and support, tremendous numbers, numbers that ­nobody understands,” Mr Trump said.

“That money is on the table. That money is not going to them unless they sit down and negotiate peace.”

Mr Trump further angered Mr Abbas by claiming to Mr Netan­yahu that the issue of Jerusalem was “off the table” in negotiations with the Palestinians. “You could never get past Jerusalem; we got it off the table,” Mr Trump said.

 

Read the full article written by Cameron Stewart at The Australian.