WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has decided to cut more than $200 million in bilateral assistance to the Palestinians, following a review of the funding for projects in the West Bank and Gaza, according to U.S. officials and congressional aides.
The State Department notified Congress of the decision Friday, according to the officials and aides, who spoke condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the move ahead of its formal announcement.
But in a brief, three-paragraph notice sent to lawmakers and obtained by The Associated Press, the department said it will redirect the money to “high-priority projects elsewhere.” The move comes as President Donald Trump and his Middle East pointmen, Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, staff up their office to prepare for the rollout of a much-vaunted but as yet unclear peace plan for Israel and the Palestinians.
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