Obama’s $221M gift to Palestinians put on hold

Reports indicate the millions of dollars promised by Barack Obama and John Kerry to the Palestinian Authority just before officially leaving office have been put on hold by the Trump State Department.

In the last hours of his presidency, President Obama defied Republican opposition and quietly released $221 million to the Palestinian Authority. Former Secretary of State John Kerry reportedly informed some lawmakers of the move shortly before he left the State Department for the last time Thursday.

But yesterday, according to FOX News and other news outlets, the State Department announced it had decided to review the last-minute decision and might make adjustments to ensure it comports with the priorities of the Trump administration. The Times of Israel reports that according to a senior Palestinian source, U.S. officials told PA Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah the funds weren’t expected to be handed over in the immediate future.

Jan Markell, founder of Olive Tree Ministries, isn’t surprised Obama gave a parting gift to Islamic terrorists.

“Everything Barack Obama did [in his eight years in office] was to further advance the Islamic world – including continually blessing the Palestinians, many of whom are blatant terrorists – [and] to marginalize and even attempt to crush Israel …,” says Markell.

Obama “loathes Israel more than any president,” she tells OneNewsNow. She also believes that the funds – should they ever be released – will be paid to the families of terrorists who killed innocent Israeli citizens.

Congress had initially approved the funds but they had been put on hold by two House Republicans – Ed Royce of California and Kay Granger of Texas. FOX News points out that such holds are generally respected by the executive branch but aren’t legally binding after the funds have been allocated.

—-