The Biden administration has confirmed that it will send $100,000 in U.S. taxpayer funds to Palestinian groups promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion, amidst a new wave of terrorism in Israel.
The State Department’s “American-Palestinian Arts, Culture, and Sports Initiative” will provide $100,000 to Palestinian government and non-profit groups to enhance American-Palestinian relations. The grant comes at a time when terrorist attacks, including a series of rocket attacks this week by the Iran-funded Hamas militant group, are causing destruction across Israel.
The proposal explains:
The Public Diplomacy Section (PD) of the U.S. Office of Palestinian Affairs (U.S. OPA) announces an open competition for a grant through this Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The American Palestinian Arts, Culture, and Sports Initiative is designed to partner with American and/or Palestinian non-profit organizations to implement activities which advance the applicant’s goals and the U.S.OPA mission, including but not limited to building Palestinian institutions, both governmental and non-governmental, that effectively address the needs and aspirations of the Palestinian people and building a prosperous Palestinian economy, led by a thriving private sector, that provides equitable and inclusive economic opportunities and improves daily life for Palestinians.
The proposal must include substantive engagement with American people, institutions, ideas and ideals in order to improve American-Palestinian relations and create greater opportunities for mutually beneficial partnership and cooperation.
It continues:
All proposed projects must aim to advance the U.S. OPA mission goals stated above, contain a substantive American element, and achieve one or more of the following specific objectives:
Increase understanding and collaboration between Americans and Palestinians via direct exchange with American arts, film, music, dance, theatre, cultural, and/or sports professionals or institutions. Activities may include joint performances, productions, exhibits, workshops, tournaments, trainings, and other projects/works among other ideas.
Enhance employability, entrepreneurship, and/or careers of artists, creatives, arts, cultural and sports professionals.
Positively address issues of conflict resolution, mental health, resiliency, or trauma therapy through arts, culture, and/or sports.
Promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, environmental protection, human rights, and/or a strong civil society via arts, culture, and/or sports activities and exchange.
Various former U.S. officials have raised concerns about the grant amid fears it may be perceived as a reward to the Palestinian government while terror factions continue to wage violence against innocent Israelis and the Jewish state. In the past month, multiple civilians have been gunned down by Palestinian terrorists as Gaza-based militants intensify their operations by launching dozens of rockets into Israeli communities.
“The timing of the release of the grant opportunity is a bit tone deaf,” Bonnie Glick, former deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, the State Department organization that oversees funding in the Middle East, told The Washington Free Beacon. “Withholding funds … might allow Palestinian leaders to rethink their priorities and control, rather than incite, their restive population.”
Meanwhile, a State Department spokesperson defended the grant, saying it would help foster peace despite the ongoing terror threat. “Our Office of Palestinian Affairs is focused on engagement with and outreach to Palestinians, including through cultural affairs grants,” the spokesperson explained. “Investing in civil society and people-to-people ties is a critical part of diplomatic outreach and efforts to promote peace, and even more imperative at times of heightened tensions.”