US weighs cutting aid to Palestinians over ICC move

Author: Associated Press
Published:
Palestine
MGN

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration is weighing whether to cut aid to the Palestinians because of their effort to join the International Criminal Court to pursue war-crimes charges against Israel.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki says the U.S. is reviewing its annual $440 million financial package for the Palestinians.

She also criticized Israel Monday for freezing tax revenues to Palestinians. She said the move last week “raises tensions.”

The Palestinian decision to join The Hague court came after the U.N. Security Council rejected setting a three-year deadline for an Israeli withdrawal from Palestinian-claimed lands.

Israel fiercely opposes the Palestinian membership at the court.

And under American law, any Palestinian case against Israel there would trigger an immediate U.S. aid cutoff. But Palestinian membership, by itself, doesn’t incur an automatic U.S. punishment.

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