PARTING GIFT

Obama Sent $221M in Aid to Palestinians in Final Hours

Also released $4 million for climate change programs.

The Obama administration reportedly left one parting gift for President Donald Trump just hours before he took office on Friday – $221 million in aid sent to the Palestinian Authority. Congress was notified of the move on Friday morning, according to a State Department official and several congressional aides cited by the Associated Press. Written notification on the move was dated Jan. 20, just hours before Trump’s inauguration. The Obama administration had been fighting with two GOP lawmakers to have the funds, from the U.S. Agency for International Development, released to the Palestinians for humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza. Obama’s aid for Palestine comes as Trump’s administration signals plans to move away from the two-state solution and give more support to Israel, with discussions underway to relocate the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem in a move likely to exacerbate tensions. In addition to the funds sent to the Mideast, the Obama administration also notified Congress that it was releasing $4 million for climate change programs and $1.25 million for United Nations organizations, one aide told the Associated Press.