Most Americans
want their tax dollars to go toward funding domestic programs for their own
peers and for their own children. We can all respect the desire for American money
to go to American programs and services. As an economic powerhouse, the United
States has continued to be one of the largest donors to many international
programs that help citizens of foreign countries as opposed to our own. For the
duration of 2017, the United States was giving $360 million annually to U.N.
Relief and Works Agency according to Scott Anderson who works with the UNRWA.[1] However, under President
Trump’s administration, it was decided that the funding would be cut
dramatically by 83 percent, as stated by Anderson.
This is all in President
Trump’s plan after having declared Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in December
of 2017, after prior administrations had avoided officially supporting Jewish sovereignty
over that of the Arab people. Palestinians are already up in arms about losing Jerusalem
as the United States plans to move its embassy into the city. Now, they face
losing millions of dollars of benefits from the UNRWA that help keep their
already horribly impoverished area somewhat stable. Ever since the Arab-Israeli
war, the UNRWA has been assisting the people of Palestine and the surrounding
nations keep education, healthcare, and security alive despite being a
war-stricken area.[2]
To defund the majority of that as a way to emphasize one’s support for moving
favor toward the Israelis is asinine at best.
It is not in President
Trump or his top advisors’ interests to show any concern for refugees. In his campaign
run, he was quite strict on ensuring no sanctuary cities would gain funding and
his dream of a border-wall is not yet dead. It is not wise though, to take away
from an already suffering region not only their political power but now also
their only means to gain an education or the opportunity out of oppression. The
ethical issues are quite obvious; to take away from starving, poor children
their main hope to receive healthcare or food is truly immoral. Yet, politicians
rarely are concerned with morals unless their actions would lose voters’
support. To truly get the message across to President Trump just how important it
is to continue to give funding to the UNRWA, you must use a fear every leader
since George W. Bush understands: the threat of terrorism.
It is often discussed
in urban areas with high gang prevalence like Chicago, how dire it is to
continue funding after-school programs even when the state is well into debt. When
children have access to activities that keep them occupied outside of school
hours, they are less likely to join gangs and continue the menacing cycle that
is all too familiar for anyone who watches the local news every night. Just as
we face domestic forms of terrorism in our own neighborhoods, so do the people
of Palestine and its surrounding nations. When children no longer have access
to even a rudimentary education and basic healthcare, they are easily persuaded
by the promises radical groups use to gain recruits. It is much easier to promise
someone amenities, success, and a happier life when they have none of the
above. While the UNWRA does not make living in a war-stricken impoverished area
automatically wonderful, it does make it significantly more tolerable.
Chris Gunness
serves as a spokesperson for the UNWRA and spoke to The Guardian about what would happen if President Trump continued
to defund supplies and services to the children of Palestine and its adjacent
nations. He believes that the “half a million children across the region,”
would have nothing to do except be recruited by “extremists,” in the local
area.[3] The greatest way to truly
help the United States in the fight against terrorism is to be proactive and
continue to fund the UNWRA. Showing support for the people of Palestine,
especially those who are younger and impressionable, is one of the greatest
ways to prevent these individuals from joining extremist groups one day.
[1] Anderson, Scott. “The Unintended
Consequences of Trump's Palestinian Budget Cuts.” Foreign Policy, Foreign
Policy, 2 Feb. 2018,
foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/02/the-unintended-consequences-of-trumps-palestinian-budget-cuts/.
[2] Holmes, Oliver.
“'It's a Death Sentence': Palestinians in Jerusalem Brace for Trump Aid Cuts.”
The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 27 Jan. 2018,
www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/jerusalem-trump-aid-cuts-shuafat-israel-palestine.
[3] Holmes, Oliver. “'It's a Death
Sentence': Palestinians in Jerusalem Brace for Trump Aid Cuts.” The Guardian,
Guardian News and Media, 27 Jan. 2018,
www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jan/26/jerusalem-trump-aid-cuts-shuafat-israel-palestine.
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