A draft budget proposal under consideration in the United States Congress aims to eliminate the office of the special representative for Palestinian Affairs at the US State Department. The funding bill, which has passed the House Appropriations Committee’s subcommittee on state, foreign operations, and related programs, must still go through the House of Representatives and the Senate to become law.
The establishment of the representative for Palestinian affairs position occurred in 2022 during the Biden administration, with the intention of strengthening US ties with the Palestinians, particularly the embattled Palestinian Authority in the occupied West Bank. Currently, the position is held by US diplomat Hady Amr.
The bill seeks to abolish the special envoy’s office as part of the Republican-controlled House’s effort to shift the Biden administration’s foreign policy approach. In its current form, the 2024 budget proposal also includes the elimination of funding for the United Nations’ general budget, as lawmakers have criticized the organization’s stance on Israel.
Republican Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, the chair of the subcommittee, highlighted Israel’s perceived mistreatment at the UN during the bill’s debate. He argued that the UN and its bodies have been ineffective and failed to address the world’s worst human rights violators, leading to the decision to exclude funds for the UN’s regular budget. The proposed budget cuts would amount to $707 million, although the United States would continue to provide funding to the UN with new restrictions in place. As the largest donor to the UN, the US holds significant influence.
UNRWA is taking steps
The draft legislation also includes provisions to prohibit US funding for the UN Commission of Inquiry investigating Israel and Unesco, an organization that the Biden administration intends to rejoin. The bill demands that the US Secretary of State certify to Congress that the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is taking steps to address content promoting anti-Semitism, violence, or anti-Israel sentiments before funding is provided. Additionally, the bill seeks to strengthen vetting procedures related to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement initiated by Palestinians.
Furthermore, the House draft proposes limitations on US support for the UN Human Rights Council and calls for the State Department to expedite efforts to remove Israel as a permanent agenda item on the council. Last year, a UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories submitted a report to the UNHRC, which concluded that the situation in Israel and the occupied territories amounted to apartheid.
The draft budget also addresses military ties, maintaining funding for the US-Israel Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at $3.3 billion. Additionally, it proposes $2.05 billion in military aid for Egypt while removing human rights-based conditions on Cairo.
The draft budget proposal also stipulates that any nuclear agreement with Iran must be submitted to Congress as a treaty. It includes language from the 2023 appropriations bill that prevents the White House administration from revoking the designation of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
In June, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed concerns in a letter to the White House, emphasizing the need to submit any arrangements or understandings with Iran to Congress for review to ensure compliance with US law.