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Congress Adds $300 Million More
To Israel's Aid Package
Also Passes Resolution Calling Jerusalem Israel's Capitol
By Nathan Guttman
Ha'aretz Daily
9-30-2

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Congress last week passed proposals that would define Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel, increase support for Israel, and impose restriction on aid to Lebanon and the Palestinians. These decisions are incorporated in the State Department's budget law, and require President Bush's authorization.
 
The resolutions relating to Jerusalem would make the U.S. Consulate in East Jerusalem (which handles matters relating to Palestinians in the territories, and is responsible for relations with the Palestinian Authority) subordinate to the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. Up to now the consulate has had independent status as the Americans' direct line to the Palestinians.
 
The new law would effectively transfers responsibility for contacts with the Palestinians to the Tel Aviv embassy, which is in charge of handling relations with Israel. In addition, the law calls for all official American documents to cite Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and to write in passports issued to American citizens who were born in Jerusalem that they were born in Israel.
 
The U.S. has traditionally opposed such classification of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, claiming the city's status is to be determined in future negotiations between the two sides.
 
In the past, the president's bureau chief has sent letters to key Congressmen, pleading with them not to approve similar proposals on the grounds of American national security interests. This time, however, the White House chose not to intervene. Yet while signing the bill into law, Bush still has the power to decree sections dealing with the consulate as having no more than declarative status.
 
The proposed State Department budget includes an addition of $300 million to Israel's regular aid package. The proposed budget also slashes assistance to Lebanon by $10 million and empowers the President to cut back on aid to the PA if national security interests warrant such reductions.
 
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=213541&contras





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