U.S. Plans To Provide Direct Aid to Palestinians

[Gimel]

The White House has decided to provide direct funding to the Palestinian Authority for social service projects, Bush administration and congressional officials said yesterday. The decision marks an important shift in U.S. policy designed to bolster the new Palestinian prime minister and offer a counterweight to services provided by militant organizations such as Hamas.

The initial funding is relatively small -- $20 million -- but its symbolic value is much greater. In the past, successive administrations and congressional restrictions had limited aid to the Palestinians to indirect channels, such as the United Nations or nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). President Bush will claim a waiver from congressional restrictions, officials said.

The move represents a deepening commitment by the administration to the peace process launched by the president last month, as well as a major investment in Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian prime minister.
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http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A29740-2003Jul8.html?nav=hptop_tb


_______________

Money that goes to fund social relief is sorely needed in the Palestinian communities. I just hope that in fact it does go to help relieve the suffering of the families that need it.

[Paschall]

1. Shrub would do better...

...to convince the Israelis to release the frozen tax revenues it owes the Palestinian Authority. That would provide over a half billion dollars in income. (One facet of the EU's--widely decried--support of the PA was set up to replace those illegally withheld revenues.)

From a Likud website based in Holland:

< Take the money out of his hands, reform a corrupt financial system and you could reduce the violence. That's the thinking of U.S. and European officials who insisted on the appointment of a new finance minister for the PA. Salam Fayyad, 50, is the chain-smoking Palestinian technocrat armed with little more than a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Texas who got the finance job last June.

Israel has responded by resuming the transfer of $30 million or more per month in tax revenues to the PA, disbursements that were frozen in December 2000 following an outbreak of terrorist bombings. Israel may even release the $500 million-plus that piled up during the freeze. >

http://www.likud.nl/press269.html

[GabysPoppy]

2. Another good idea would be

to encourage the oil rich Arabic countries to give some aid other than monies to families of terrorists.

I just hope that a system is set to prevent Arafat from challenging Bill Gates as the wealthiest person on the planet. Anyone that believes Arafat became wealthy by shopping at Costco or by clipping food coupons please line up to my right. I have a bridge for sale with an excellant view of the river.

[drdon326]

4. $ 300,000,000

OBSCENE

[Gimel]

5. US Pressure

It is my impression that Bush has pushed this consistently, along with the Road Map, and that it was the subject of his first question to Sharon at Aqaba.

Monthly transfer of funds to PA begins
Jerusalem Post; Jerusalem; Dec 11, 2002; HERB KEINON;
Abstract:
The US has been pressuring Israel hard on this issue, as one of the ways to ease the plight of the Palestinians. According to an Israeli official, the US wants to show that while it is not supportive of the current PA leadership, it is concerned with the plight of the Palestinian population.

Negotiations on this issue have continued since October and ...

Israel to transfer additional NIS 130m. in taxes to PA
Jerusalem Post; Jerusalem; Jan 2, 2003; HERB KEINON;
Abstract:
Israel will transfer some NIS 130 million in taxes collected on the Palestinian Authority's behalf to the PA for the second month in a row, a senior diplomatic official said Wednesday.

The decision to transfer the funds to cover November's PA tax revenue collected by Israel came amid a general feeling that the money transferred last month was, for the most part, ...

The reform of the PA finances is essential, however.

(Forbes) wrote that has "feasted on all sorts of funds flowing into the PA, including aid money, Israeli tax transfers, and revenue from a casino and Coca-Cola bottler. Much of the money appears to have gone to pay off others. New Finance Minister Salaam Fayad is cleaning up the PA's finances, cutting off much of Arafat's cash flow."

'Forbes': Arafat worth $300m.
Jerusalem Post; Jerusalem; Feb 28, 2003; MELISSA RADLER;


The terror funding was a major issue with the Israelis.


Sharon vows to stop funds to PA if money is channeled to terror
Jerusalem Post; Jerusalem; Dec 12, 2002; HERB KEINON and LAMIA LAHOUD;
Abstract:
The NIS 130 million transferred to the Palestinian Authority Friday was for taxes collected on the PA's behalf in October, and not part of some NIS 2.5 billion in frozen PA revenues that have accumulated over the last two years ago, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said Wednesday.

I don't know if the Likud site from Holland (why Holland?) is legit. the figures don't add up with those presented here. A return of tax receipts is also owed to Israel, so the actual balance may account for the difference. Notice the $500 million is a figure of donations:

Fayad presents $1.3b. 2003 PA budget
Jerusalem Post; Jerusalem; Jan 1, 2003; LAMIA LAHOUD and news agencies;
Abstract:
It was 's first budget since he took office in June in a cabinet reshuffle forced on PA Chairman Yasser Arafat after complaints about his inefficient and corrupt administration. The appointment of Fayad, a former senior official with the International Monetary Fund, won praise from international donors.

Foreign donors, led by Arab states and the European Union, gave the PA about $500m. ...

[WildClarySage]

3. I think this is a great step

I just wish we'd fund our social services here, too. =)

[Resistance]

6. Well we pay Israel to slaughter Palestinians ...

At least we're decent enough to buy some band-aids for the wounded.

[Herschel]

7. Israel does not slaughter Palestinians

You are confused. The murdering Palestinian suicide bombers target and kill innocent Israeli civilians. That is slaughter. Bringing justice on those murderers is not. Surely you understand that.