During his testimony to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Middle East and South Asia, Elliott Abrams mentioned that "Corruption harms Palestinian finances and makes people lose trust in the entire political system. It has also made potential donors doubtful. I can share from my experience, as an American official seeking financial support for the Palestinian Authority from Gulf Arab countries, that I often heard, 'Why should we give them money when their officials will just take it?'"