Trump threat to cut Palestine aid could ‘unravel Oslo’
US President Donald Trump's threat to withdraw aid to the Palestinian Authority (PA) would deprive Washington of its influence on the body, and could cause the Oslo accords to unravel, analysts say.
In a series of tweets on Tuesday, the US president threatened to cut off payments to the PA and accused its leaders of not showing enough "appreciation or respect" towards the US.
Trump wrote: "With the Palestinians no longer willing to talk peace, why should we make any of these massive future payments to them?"
Though no move to cut off money to the PA has been confirmed, the comments come amid deteriorating ties between the Trump administration and Palestinian leaders.
Last month, the US sparked outrage among Palestinians and others over its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
Since then, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed not to partake in any peace plan put forward by the US leader.
According to Ramallah-based development consultant, Sam Bahour, Trump's threat is not without precedent.
"This is not the first time cutting or threatening to cut funds were used for political coercion," Bahour told Al Jazeera.
"The most glaring example of this was when the US supported elections in 2006 and could not swallow the [idea of] Hamas winning, and the result was cutting funds to the Palestinian Authority."
