Officials: Israel ready to transfer tax revenues to PA

[bemildred]

Israel is prepared to transfer withheld tax revenues to the Palestinians through a mechanism that guarantees none of the money will go to the Hamas-led government or militants, Israeli officials said on Thursday.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the United States and European Union have been discussing the issue and that Israel would be ready to release funds once a mechanism with sufficient safeguards were agreed upon and put in place.

Israel has long resisted European calls to transfer Palestinian tax revenues, now totaling some $700 million, to stave off collapse of the Palestinian Authority and bolster PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah faction has been locked in a power struggle with the dominant Hamas.

But Israel finds itself increasingly isolated on the money issue. The United States joined the EU, United Nations and Russia in a statement on Wednesday encouraging Israel to consider freeing up the funds through a special European Union mechanism.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/865554.html

[dave_p]

1. i.e. Israel ready to transfer tax revenues to Fatah

In other words, the money will only go to one faction of the PA, the party voted out by Palestinians in a democratic election 16 months ago. This is a great way to democratize the region, isn't it? You can vote, but you'd better vote the way we want or we'll starve you into doing things our way. And then we'll just go on recognizing the side that lost anyway.

[sabbat hunter]

2. isnt giving the money to fatah

better than giving hte money to a terror organization?

[dave_p]

3. That's what they said about Fatah

Israel & others recognized the PA, not a party. The money should go to the PA, as agreed, not to a party. Palestinians take a different view of where "terror"'s coming from.

[Scurrilous]

4. Meanwhile...

Norway resumes direct aid to Palestinian government

<snip>

"Norway resumed direct aid to the Palestinian administration with a $10 million transfer, after it became the first Western country to recognize the new Hamas-led coalition, the Norwegian foreign minister said Thursday.

"We hope our contribution will help ease the social crisis the Palestinians are now going through," said Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere. He said the aid will be used to pay wages for civilian public servants."

<snip>

"Norway recognized a new coalition, which included Hamas and the moderate Fatah party, when it took office in March, and earlier this month announced that it would resume direct aid.

"The critical situation in Gaza has many causes, but social need and
desperation draw in a negative directions," said Stoere. "It is especially important for the Palestinian authorities to receive economic aid from the international community."

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/865548.html

[richards1052]

5. This isn't the first time Israel has said this...

We'll have to wait to see what really happens. I can't tell you how many times I've heard similar reports in Haaretz before. The truth is that Israel will withhold these funds as long as it possibly can. Once the entire world agrees to break the Gaza siege, then Israel will have no choice but to follow suit.

[bemildred]

6. Funny you should say that.

I was thinking when I posted it that it's sort of like the "we're going to start dismantling the illegal settlements soon" stories that appear regularly.