The iconic children's program "Sesame Street", known as "Sharaa Simsim" in Arabic, has been put on hold for the 2012 season because of a funding freeze by the US Congress. "Sharaa Simsim" is one of many US-funded Palestinian programs suffering after Congress froze the transfer of nearly $200 million to the US Agency for International Development in October. Even as the freeze put Palestinian Sesame Street on hold, the State Department is investing $750,000 in the Israeli version of the show, which is now filming its newest season with an emphasis on teaching children the value of fairness.
