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Op-ed in official PA daily calls US President Trump a "bully," says he "acts like a gang boss and like a highway bandit," and that his speech at the UN contained a "satanic and arrogant spirit"

Excerpt of an op-ed by Omar Hilmi Al-Ghoul, regular columnist for the official PA daily

Headline: “The bully Trump’s speech”

“[US] President Donald Trump gave his speech two days ago [Sept. 25, 2018] at the opening meeting of the UN General Assembly’s 73rd session. If only he had not talked and not addressed the leaders of the states and nations, because it would have been more appropriate and dignified for the US if the populist and arrogant real estate man had been silent. Perhaps the most inflaming moment in his speech was the praise that he gave himself and his administration, when he claimed that his administration had recorded achievements that no other American administration had recorded in the past (sic., Trump said it “has accomplished more than almost any administration”). This forced the listeners to deviate from custom. They broke into laughter due to the ugly American’s claims, because they all know with certainty that the Trump administration is the worst administration in the history of the UN in terms of functioning and honoring the international institutions’ conventions, laws, and agreements. What is more, it is the most bullying administration in the modern history of America, since the establishment of the UN 73 years ago, because it has worked and is working to crush the UN and harm its image, and it is persecuting the UN, its institutions, and its international organizations that are connected to human rights (apparently refers to US withdrawing from UN Human Rights Council in June 2018 citing its anti-Israeli bias, and later cutting funding to UNRWA; see note below –Ed.)…
In addition to this, in the same speech the new cowboy blatantly threatened a sovereign state – Venezuela – and its president. He announced that his administration will attack [Venezuelan] President Nicolás Maduro (sic., he announced additional sanctions on Maduro’s regime given the humanitarian crisis there), and unequivocally incited the army to carry out a coup against a president who was legally elected (sic., Trump did not call for a military coup). He also attacked socialism as if his capitalist system is in better shape…
Regarding the Palestinian cause and the peace process, anyone who listened to Trump’s speech noticed that the man acts like a gang boss and like a highway bandit, and at the same time, like a terrified man who is afraid of Israel and its allies…
He declared that the US is an empire and the leader of the world, as if he was sending the following message to all of the central bodies in the world: ‘The US is your master, your leader, and your source of authority. You have no choice but to submit to its will!’ (sic., Trump said exactly the opposite; see note below) This satanic and arrogant spirit is what was contained in the populist Trump’s speech.”
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Regarding the article’s claim that US President Donald Trump essentially demanded that the world submit to American rule in his speech - no such statement was made and in fact the opposite was emphasized. Trump said: “America will always choose independence and cooperation over global governance, control, and domination. I honor the right of every nation in this room to pursue its own customs, beliefs, and traditions. The United States will not tell you how to live or work or worship. We only ask that you honor our sovereignty in return.” Regarding the Middle East in particular, he said: “Ultimately, it is up to the nations of the region to decide what kind of future they want for themselves and their children.”

US President Donald Trump's administration announced on Aug. 31, 2018 that it was immediately cutting all $360 million of annual American funding to UNRWA (UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). Explaining the decision, the US State Department said, "The fundamental business model and fiscal practices that have marked UNRWA for years – tied to UNRWA’s endlessly and exponentially expanding community of entitled beneficiaries – is simply unsustainable and has been in crisis mode for many years. The United States will no longer commit further funding to this irredeemably flawed operation."
The move came after the US froze two planned payments to UNRWA in early January 2018 for more than $100 million, and the US administration spoke about the need to reexamine and conduct a reform of the UN body. This occurred after the PA refused to negotiate with Israel and cut diplomatic ties with America following US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital on Dec. 6, 2017.



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