US-funded projects in the occupied Palestinian territories are facing a sharp backlash amid calls for an organised boycott in reply to Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. A wave of anger since the December announcement has led to protests aimed at halting Palestinian NGOs’ participation in US-funded programmes ranging from clean water deliveries to support for law students, according to officials on both sides.

There have been protests, refusals to meet with US project managers and a rash of requests by groups backed by aid money to seek waivers to remove US-linked branding – including the US flag – from their promotional materials. Among those pushing hardest for a more organised boycott of US-funded projects has been the Palestinian Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) national committee, which issued a statement calling for a boycott of “activities organised or sponsored by US institutions (such as USAid), in Jerusalem and abroad”. Events have been cancelled and offers of assistance rejected: for example, Palestinian law schools pulled out of an international event for which the US consulate had planned to provide plane tickets.(theguardian)…[+]