US payment platform blocking some payments mentioning Palestinian relief funds May 18, 2021, 08:47 AM facebook Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Venmo users say the company is blocking some transactions that mention Palestine-related keywords. Venmo told Insider it's trying to avoid running afoul of US sanctions laws. But the PayPal-owned company wouldn't say what caused it to suspend payments. Some Venmo users are reporting that the PayPal-owned company is preventing them from completing transactions with descriptions mentioning Palestine-related keywords. Venmo's customer support inquired about a $50 payment one user received that included the description "Emergency Palestinian Relief Fund," according to a screenshot the user tweeted.