U.S. Congress enacts historic funding for Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding
22.12.2020
On Tuesday the United States Congress passed the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, historic legislation delivering unprecedented levels of funding for peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine. The law provides $250 million over five years to expand peace and reconciliation programmes in the region as well supports projects to bolster the Palestinian economy. This legislation is the result of over a decade of advocacy by the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) toward the creation of an International Fund for Israeli-Palestinian Peace.
Spearheaded by House Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Nita M. Lowey (D, NY-17), Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R, NE-01), Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Senator Chris Coons (D-DE), the law contains language that encourages international cooperation. It prioritizes peacebuildi
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Dec. 22, 2020
WASHINGTON – When congressional leaders released the text of the 5,593-page coronavirus relief package on Monday, many observers noted that the bill included “$500 million for Israeli cooperation,” with a large percentage of that dedicated to missile defense systems.
This seemingly disparate allocation of funds – considering negotiators could only agree on $600 stimulus checks for individual Americans – triggered much outrage on social media, to the point where “$500,000,000 for Israel” was trending worldwide.
However, the COVID-19 stimulus deal was actually included in a broader year-end spending package. This included the 2021 Pentagon spending bill, which covers foreign aid for a number of U.S. allies besides Israel.
U.S. earmarks $250 million for Israeli-Palestinian peacebuilding
Senate passes Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act as part of coronavirus relief bill; will fund projects aimed at reversing growing polarization in region; umbrella group of Mideast NGOs hails opportunity for new strategies
Ynet |
Published: 12.22.20 , 13:57
The U.S. Senate on Monday passed bipartisan legislation to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for peacebuilding measures between Israel and the Palestinians.
The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, named for the Democratic representative who spearheaded the legislation, secures $250 million over a five-year period and was included in the coronavirus relief bill passed in the Senate.
Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel s US correspondent based in New York
Illustrative: Israeli Jews and Palestinians talk to each other during a coexistence meeting in the West Bank, on July 22, 2015 (Nati Shohat/Flash90)
The US Congress on Monday night approved $250 million in funding for Israeli-Palestinian dialogue programs and Palestinian business development, as part of a $2.3 trillion spending package that combines coronavirus relief with funding for the US government through the end of the fiscal year.
The $250 million will establish the Nita Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Fund, named after the retiring Democratic Congresswoman who championed the bipartisan initiative along with Republican Jeff Fortenberry in the House and Democrat Chris Coons and Republican Lindsey Graham in the Senate.
They actively bring Israelis and Palestinians together because they understand that it is only at that one-on-one level that change can happen.
But I wondered how this slow and small trickle could create enough of an effect or create enough momentum to make a bigger impact.
When I read how author Yossi Klein Halevi invitation to dialogue after the first edition of his book
Letters to My Palestinian Neighbor came out was answered by Professor Mohammed Dajani Douadi, who authored his own approach to education called Wasatia (Moderation), I wrote about their vision. And started daydreaming about how the two could spear a much needed movement.