Haley Disapproves of Biden’s Decision to Reverse UNRWA Funding

GOP presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley, who previously served as the U.N. ambassador under the Trump administration, voiced her disapproval over the 2021 reinstatement, under the Biden administration, of U.S. funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), The Hill reported.

This move by the Biden administration reversed the Trump administration’s 2018 decision to halt financial support to UNRWA, citing the need for fundamental changes within the agency.

Haley, during an appearance on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends,” said, “I know UNRWA well. I sat in President Trump’s office and said ‘We have got to stop the money to UNRWA.’ The State Department fought me on it. And the reason I did that is, I knew all the officials at UNRWA.”

The Biden administration’s decision to resume funding in April 2021, with an announcement of $235 million in aid, was met with mixed reactions.

Proponents, like Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., viewed it as a necessary step towards mending U.S.-Palestinian relations and reasserting U.S. leadership in the region. But critics, such as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the move, arguing that UNRWA is “perforated with Hamas.”