The Palestinian Authority has purchased a $50 million private jet for the use of its President Mahmoud Abbas at the same time its finances face a massive cut through the withdrawal of U.S. funding.
Hadashot news reported the purchase on Wednesday, but did not provide sourcing for the claim. It said the plane will be delivered to Jordan in coming weeks and will be stationed there for personal use by the 83-year-old leader. Funding is alleged to have come via the PA budget ($20 million) and from the Palestinian National Fund ($30 million).
The news comes just weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Abbas he was willing to cut aid to the Palestinian Authority, criticizing Palestinian leaders for showing “no appreciation or respect” to the U.S. and being “no longer willing to talk peace.”
As Breitbart Jerusalem reported, the context for Trump’s remarks was the administration’s announcement that it was suspending $255 million in aid to Pakistan because of that government’s alleged “double game” on terrorism.
UN Ambassador Nikki Haley added that the Trump administration would be withholding funds for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a special refugee program that only deals with Palestinians, until the Palestinian leaders came back to the negotiating table.
“[President Trump] doesn’t want to give any additional funding until the Palestinians agree to come back to the negotiation table, and what we saw with the resolution [on Jerusalem] was not helpful to the situation,” she told reporters.
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