WASHINGTON. - U.S. Congress froze the $200 million of assistance to Palestine after Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas made a bid for statehood recognition at the UN. The money meant for training Palestine teachers and development of infrastructures, were allocated from U.S. budget in the beginning of the fiscal year.

“We speak about “collective punishment” that Palestinian people are subjected to for striving for freedom and independence,” the Chairman of Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Ghassan Khatib told British Independent, reports NEWSru.co.il.

He stressed that Palestinians did nothing unfair or illegal and highlighter the paradox that PNA is denied financial assistance for applying to the UN.