American money to the Palestinians? Not so fast

"Early last week, I placed a hold on the $86 million," says New York Democrat Nita Lowey, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee and the chairwoman of the Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Subcommittee. This means, basically, that the money cannot be transferred to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

At the end of January, United States President George Bush announced that he will ask Congress to transfer $86 million to the Palestinian Authority in the near future. This money was intended to strengthen PA Chairman Abbas. Bush said that the money would be used to fund training for Abbas's security forces, and to supply them with uniforms and other equipment.

The U.S. is helping train and equip Abbas' forces as a way of strengthening him and his followers in their struggle with the Hamas-controlled Palestinian government. Officially, the purpose of this money is "straightforward, to help improve public order in the Palestinian territories. Polls show an overwhelming majority of Palestinians themselves support this goal," the State Department official said.

But Lowey, a legislator described by a Washington expert as one of Israel's "most supportive members of Congress," had some doubts about this decision. She thought it was "imperative that we have a fuller understanding of exactly what the funding is for and what the situation is on the ground." So she put a hold on the transfer and contacted the State Department seeking clarifications. Now she is looking "forward to receiving their answers." The move was not made public, sources say, as the congresswoman didn't want to start a fight with the State Department.

And the problem might be even bigger now, than it was "early last week." The Mecca agreement, brokered by the Saudis and paving the way for the formation of a PA unity government, was reached after Lowey raised her concerns. The new government will be headed by the Hamas prime minister and is stopping short of fully accepting the conditions set by the Quartet (recognizing Israel, abiding by previously signed agreements, renouncing violence). This, as the congresswoman says, "raised additional questions" - yet to be answered. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be traveling to meet with Abbas (and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert) next week.

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