I don't think this is a well-calculated move politically at all. Just lazy, racist, greed, appealing to the sort of people who get impressed by spending cuts no matter what they are.

All as a consequence of a politically-motivated act of the last (Republican) Congress, who are normally as anti-lawyer as you can get, but wanted to make it possible for Americans to sue foreign governments for alleged complicity in terrorist acts. Now the Palestinian Authority doesn't want our aid because it would make them eligible to be dragged into court in a lawsuit. And yet the Republicans don't want to participate in the International Criminal Courts because our commanders could be charged with war crimes...