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Envoy: Arab League summit to address PA financial woes
Published Sunday 15/07/2012 (updated) 16/07/2012 19:51
Israel froze the transfer of tax revenues, worth approximately $100
million per month, to the PA twice in 2011.
BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) -- A Palestinian envoy said Sunday that next week's Arab League summit will activate regular payments from the region to the Palestinian Authority, offsetting the government's financial crisis.

The Arab peace initiative follow-up committee will meet in Doha, Qatar on July 22 at the request of President Mahmoud Abbas, an Arab League official said Saturday.

Muhammad Sbeih, secretary-general of Palestinian affairs in the Arab League, told Ma'an the meeting would set "decisive steps," and implement a safety net for the beleaguered PA.

In March, the Arab League agreed at a Baghdad summit to compensate the PA if Israel freezes tax revenues it collects on the Palestinian government's behalf as a punitive measure.

Israel froze the transfer of tax revenues, worth approximately $100 million per month, to the PA twice in 2011, when Hamas and Fatah leaders agreed to end their four-year division.

While Israel has not frozen revenues, since March the PA has descended into a worsening financial crisis, and was unable to pay full government employee salaries for June.

The PA cites large debts and the failure of donors to deliver aid as prompting the latest crisis.

Muhammad Sbeih said the issue had been politicized as the US demands all measures be postponed until after its presidential election in November.

He said he expected Arab states not to hold off their assistance until then, but criticized the "silence" of Arab countries over international pressures they face not to fulfill their financial obligations to the PA. He did not elaborate on the source of the pressure.

Sbeih added that after the PA issued calls to Arab states to help with their current financial crisis, Iraq was the first to respond and has promised to release $25 million shortly.

Meanwhile the economy minister Jawad Naji told Ma'an he had met with the president, prime minister and finance minister to devise a plan to overcome their financial problems.

They plan to visit several Arab nations to ask for support, he said.

On Friday Abbas met with King Abdullah in Saudi Arabia to discuss the financial situation in the Palestinian government. Sbeih praised the role of Saudi Arabia in supporting Palestinians.
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1 ) Yosef / Turkey
15/07/2012 15:38
Why do our Arab brothers despise us Palastinians so much?

2 ) Arnold / Canada
15/07/2012 16:23
Before the Arab Spring many of the Arab League countries were slow to send aid to the Palestinians yet the funds trickled through. The reason for slow payment.... there really is no love for the Palestinian cause too much anymore. tired of it. Been there ...done that. They had their own internal and financial problems. Now that the Arab Spring has blossomed the people are demanding what is rightfully theirs which leaves even less for the Palestinian cause.

3 ) Alex the Great / USA
15/07/2012 17:45
If you werent a war mongering terrorist organization, and sought peace and partnership with cousins in Israel the Palestinians would prosper. Here in the US I see many Israeli and Palestinian friendship and partners in business that work and succeed. Very similar mentality. Politics is murder!
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