Paul proposes cutting off aid to Palestinians

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced legislation on Wednesday that would cut off U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority until it withdraws its request to join the International Criminal Court (ICC). 

Palestinian membership in the ICC could lead to war crimes charges against Israel. Under U.S. law, the around $400 million in U.S. aid to the Palestinians would be cut off if such charges are pressed. 

{mosads}But Paul said he does not trust the Obama administration to enforce that rule.

“It is up to the new Republican-led Congress to move on its own so that the president does not once again circumvent clear funding restrictions,” Paul said in a statement.

“Certainly groups that threaten Israel cannot be allies of the U.S.,” he added. “I will continue to do everything in my power to make sure this President and this Congress stop treating Israel’s enemies as American allies.”

Th bill comes as the Palestinian Authority has made a series of moves on the international stage, including backing a UN resolution that sets a one-year deadline for talks with Israel and calls for the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the West Bank. After that measure was defeated in a vote, the Palestinian Authority moved to join the ICC.

The Obama administration has opposed both the Palestinian resolution in the UN and the ICC move, calling instead for peace negotiations with Israel. 

Paul is a likely 2016 presidential candidate, and he faces some skepticism from members of the Republican establishment, who worry he is not sufficiently supportive of Israel. 

The senator has in the past proposed cutting off all foreign aid, including to Israel, though he has since seemed to back off that proposal somewhat. 

“It’s an eventual goal, is to eliminate all aid,” Paul told CNN in October. “But we have so many — we have such a resistance in Congress to even attaching any restrictions, that my goal since I’ve been in Congress and the bills I’ve introduced have been to place restrictions on countries that either hate us, burn our flag or persecute Christians or other religious minorities.”