As US President Donald Trump met with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the White House to talk about a potential peace deal with Israel, the Republican brass had other ideas for what they should talk about.
Three Republican Senators who carry a lot of weight (and with it, a lot of influence) in the United States government got together to press Trump to try to convince Abbas to stop providing funds to Palestinian prisoners and their families. Naturally, as right-wing politicians, they hate prisoners and want to deprive them of all human rights (even if they’ve committed, say, a non-violent drug-related offence, which is basically nothing).
Funding the prisoners is well-liked legislation in Palestine
This would be sure to get the pot boiling, as Abbas is facing a declining popularity in Palestine as it is and rival factions are rising up to take him down, and cutting that funding would only further complicate things for him on the domestic front, but it’s what the Republicans want, and the Republicans are helping him reach a peace agreement with Israel – another thing his people don’t want. Poor Abbas, he can’t do anything right. Meanwhile, there are murmurings that Trump could be heading over to the Middle East this month...
