Nita Lowey, chair of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations, has placed a hold on $150 million in economic assistance to the Palestinian Authority until the State Department provides further clarification of how the money will be dispensed, and until it has certified that a single treasury account for the funds has been created, the Jerusalem Post reports.
Meanwhile, JTA reports that the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a resolution strongly defending how Israel has repelled rocket attacks. The non-binding resolution, passed 404-1 on Wednesday, was substantially rewritten since its introduction in January to include a strident defense of recent Israeli tactics in the Gaza Strip.
The sole vote against was presidential hopeful Ron Paul of Texas. Needless to say, his vote was a disappointment.
