Egyptian-American candidate for U.S. Senate, Khaled Salem, has called on the United Nations, NATO, and the U.S. government to halt aid to Lebanon if it doesn’t take action against Hezbollah.
Salem, who is in the running for the upcoming general election in the U.S., also wants to end aid going to Palestinians if they continue to support Hamas and Hezbollah.
In a press release provided by Salem, he “implores the Biden administration to be an example for the international community, protecting the Middle East region, especially Israel.”
His comments come as Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah are facing forced evictions and brutal attacks at the hands of Israeli settlers and soldiers who are accused of participating in ethnic cleansing.
U.S. officials such as representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Marie Newman, Pramila Jayapal, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib, Joaquin Castro, André Carson, and Senator Chris Van Hollen have condemned the acts of Israelis and expressed solidarity with the Palestinian residents.
Moreover, aid from the U.S. has been vital in Lebanon and in Palestine, especially now in the response to the pandemic.
Over the years, the U.S. has funded billions of dollars into projects that have improved Lebanon‘s infrastructure as well as enabled people to start small and sustainable businesses.
Recently, the U.S. Embassy Beirut even promoted the creation of an independent and effective Lebanese judicial system capable of fighting corruption.
