washington | The success of Israel’s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip depends, all sides have said, on the day after.
But unresolved border questions, a climate of political uncertainty and even the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina have cast shadows over how the United States will help fund the next stage.
The United States may delay sending funds to Israel and the Palestinians, insiders say, because of concerns about the Palestinian Authority leadership, a wait-and-see attitude as Israelis and Palestinians both head into elections and discomfort over how Americans transfixed by Katrina’s devastation will view money spent thousands of miles away.
Senior congressional officials, both Republicans and Democrats, who declined to speak on the record, said it would be considered bad taste right now to announce a major aid package in the Middle East as Congress scrambles to assist hundreds of thousands of people made homeless across the Gulf of Mexico. Some predicted a delay of at least two weeks.
Israel wants cash — reports have suggested more than $2 billion — to help resettle the 9,000 settlers evacuated from Gaza and a portion of the northern West Bank, as well as to rebuild military bases inside Israel. The Palestinians are hoping for funds beyond the $50 million they received last month.
U.S. officials charged with disbursing aid to the Palestinians say they’re watching how Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas spends the $50 million he got last month in U.S. assistance before dipping into another $300 million appropriated for the Palestinians by Congress.
In addition to the $50 million already sent to the Palestinians, the United States is committed to building a water carrier for Gaza, which Garber estimated ultimately will run to at least $50 million more.