Lobbying 2015: Palestine seeks to limit fallout from UN push
The Palestinians are counting on the Obama administration to rein in congressional anger as they take their campaign for statehood to the United Nations.
After last year’s devastating war in Gaza and the collapse of peace talks, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas is taking his grievances straight to the United Nations. He’s hoping to build support for a statehood bid while keeping the pressure on Israel.
The bold move has predictably infuriated Congress, which controls the purse strings for the State Department’s $440 million annual aid request that’s vital to keeping government services running in the West Bank and Gaza. The Palestinians in turn have hired well-connected powerhouses to keep the money flowing.
