File photo
File photo
President Joe Biden wants to side-step Hamas to deliver aid in Gaza, but Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) said in a recent social media post that the group named as acceptable to work with is no better.
"By law, the United States is barred from giving aid to the terror-sponsoring Palestinian Authority," Cotton said in his May 26 Facebook post. "Illegal and immoral."
Biden's plan for humanitarian aid and rebuilding in areas in Gaza, heavily damaged during an 11-day war between Hamas and Israel until a cease-fire went into effect last week, includes coordinating the effort with the Palestine Authority. The problem with that plan is that the Palestine Authority has negligible influence in Gaza and it excludes Hamas, which actually controls the strip, according to a breakdown of the issues published May 26 by Axios.
Cotton posted the Axios breakdown in his Facebook post.
Other issues with the Biden plan include Israel's strict controls of goods and building materials that enter Gaza and international investment reluctance to rebuild in an area repeatedly bombed.
This week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced a $110 million economic assistance package, including about $5.5 million in immediate Gaza relief.
"We will work with our partners to ensure that Hamas does not benefit from the reconstruction assistance," Blinken said in a Politico news story that noted he offered no further details.
This month, as the cease-fire was taking hold, Cotton joined Sens. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee), Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas) to introduce the Emergency Resupply for Iron Dome Act of 2021 to help Israel replenish its missile defense interceptors. In a joint statement announcing the legislation, Cotton advised the U.S. to work with Israel rather than send aid to Gaza.
"The United States must ensure Israel continues to have the resources it needs to protect Israeli citizens and to defeat its terrorist enemies," Cotton said in the May 20 statement. "U.S. assistance headed to areas under Hamas control should be redirected to Israel to resupply the Iron Dome."
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