Those who feared candidate Donald Trump’s “America First” policies would result in massive foreign aid cuts were right on the mark according to a report in Foreign Policy magazine which says the administration will implement deep cuts across the world. In the Middle East, two apparent decisions are of note: a reduction by a whopping 47.4% in aid to Egypt; and in the face of all of the cuts, an increase in support for the Palestinians. The West Bank and the Gaza Strip will reportedly receive an additional $218 million, an increase of 4.6%. President Trump is apparently differentiating between Middle East nations aid-wise, with additional increases in aid earmarked for Iraq, Syria and Libya while the rest of the aid recipients will see decreased funding along the lines of the cut to Egypt. Some observers were surprised by the size of the cut to Egypt given the efforts the president has made to demonstrate warm relations with President Al-Sisi. And the show of warmth to Jordan’s King Abdallah II is being met with a 21% cut in aid. The foreign aid proposals are expected to draw fire from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress.
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