Following the passing of a United Nations’ resolution against Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, members of Congress have introduced a variety of bills designed to show their support of Israel under the Donald Trump administration. One such bill, called the Aid to Allies Act, would, if passed, block Senegal from development assistance for two years, and instead redirect those funds to Rwanda and Uganda, as a direct result of Senegal co-sponsoring the U.N. resolution.
The bill has been put before Congress by Mark Meadows, a Republican congressman from North Carolina, who received campaign funding from pro-Israel groups. In the bill’s text, Meadows specifically mentions Senegal’s co-sponsorship of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334.
According to the text, “rather than continuing to assist foreign governments that undermine our foreign allies, those dollars would be better spent in countries that support and defend the shared interests of the American people.”
About the author
Molly McCluskey
Molly McCluskey is an independent journalist whose work has appeared in Al Jazeera English, U.S. News & World Report, Middle East Eye, The Washington Post, National Geographic, and an array of national and international publications. She has written extensively on global economic issues and their impacts on individuals, institutions and nations. In 2014, Molly was selected for the prestigious International Women’s Media Foundation’s Democratic Republic of the Congo reporting fellowship, and in 2016 won the McGraw Fellowship for Business Reporting. She recently completed her third term as a member of the Board of Governors of the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. She divides her time between the U.S. and Europe.