Palestinians buy $50 million private jet for Abbas

While slamming the US decision to cut aid to the Palestinians, the PA has purchased a private jet for Abbas.

By: Margot Dudkevitch, World Israel News

The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced it has purchased a $50 million private jet for its leader, Mahmoud Abbas. The move comes as Palestinians are asking Europe and other countries for financial assistance in the wake of the US decision to slash funds to the PA.

According to reports in the Palestinian media, the jet is due to arrive within a few weeks in Amman, Jordan.

Explaining the purchase, Palestinian officials said that $30 million came from the Palestinian National Fund, and the rest from the PA’s annual budget.

Due to the complete deterioration of the PA-US relationship over the past several weeks, officials in the White House said the US is seriously re-examining its policy concerning financial aid to the Palestinians, but hinted that if Abbas returns to the negotiating table, that could change.

In the wake of the Trump administration’s decision to slash some $65 million in funds to the United Nations Works and Relief Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA), US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley is also pushing Washington to cut funding to the PA.

Meanwhile, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa published on its website a letter to the Trump administration sent by some 20 international organizations, mainly based in the US, protesting the decision to slash funds to UNWRA. “We are deeply concerned about the humanitarian consequences of this decision on life-sustaining assistance to children, women and men,” the letter said. Eric Schwartz, president of Refugees International and former US Assistant Secretary of State, Population and Refugees, was quoted in the letter, saying “this decision is aimed at punishing Palestinian political leaders and forcing them to make political concessions.”