REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File PhotoSummary Funds were meant to narrow socio-economic gapsSmotrich says money would go to criminals, militantsLawmakers, colleges criticise decision as racistJERUSALEM, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has frozen funds for Arab towns and Palestinian education programmes in East Jerusalem, citing crime and safety fears and prompting accusations of racism.
"Arab citizens are entitled to those funds, which were meant to close the gaps between Arab and Jewish communities," he told Reuters.
'HATRED AND RACISM'Smotrich said a separate 200 million shekels for encouraging academic studies among Palestinians from East Jerusalem would also be frozen until what he described as "extremist Islamic activity" on campus was eradicated.
Smotrich said the new East Jerusalem plan would have a total increased budget but that although encouraging academic studies among the city's Palestinians was a worthy cause, this also had unwelcome consequences.
Reporting by Henriette Chacar and Maayan Lubell; Editing by James Mackenzie and Gareth JonesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Amir Cohen, Bezalel Smotrich, Benjamin Netanyahu's, Kan, Moshe Arbel, Mansour Abbas, Yair Lapid, Smotrich, Ameer Bisharat, Israel, Netanyahu, Henriette Chacar, James Mackenzie, Gareth Jones
Organizations:
REUTERS, Israeli, Reuters, National Committee of, Facebook, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Thomson
Locations:
Rahat, Israel, JERUSALEM, East Jerusalem, Smotrich, Arab, Jerusalem, Gaza