NEGOTIATIONS
Fury in Palestine over US aid cut tactics
Washington’s new policy on Jerusalem overturned decades relations between the countries
US President Donald Trump’s cut of more than $200m in aid for Gaza and the West Bank is the latest in a series of steps Palestinian leaders say aims to "liquidate" their cause. The move follows Trump’s recognition in December of the disputed city of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital as well as his freezing of $300m in annual funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. Washington’s new policy on Jerusalem overturned decades of precedent and prompted the Palestinian leadership to break off relations with the White House. The US president threatened to withhold aid until they returned to the negotiating table. For many Israelis, the changes made by Washington are long overdue and bring years of failed peace efforts closer in line with reality. But Palestinian leaders argue the White House is playing into the hands of Israeli politicians. Speaking in June, when the US aid was merely frozen instead of cut, long-time Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat spoke of the need to "defea...
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