Palestinian PM condemns Israel's decision to freeze Palestinian assets

[News_Editor]

Palestinian PM condemns Israel's decision to freeze Palestinian assets

2011-05-01 22:41:07 GMT+7 (ICT)

RAMALLAH (BNO NEWS) -- Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Sunday criticized the Israeli decision to freeze cash transfers to the Palestinian Authority due to the Fatah-Hamas unity deal.

Palestine News and Info Agency WAFA reported that Israeli Finance Minister, Yuval Steinitz, said the Israeli government will hold up transfer to the Palestinian Authority of $90 million of tax funds and customs fees that Israel collects on the Palestinians' behalf.

"We certainly will not stop at these threats. We are in contact with influential international parties to dissuade Israel from proceeding with this act," Fayyad said.

He added that the decision "will not deter us from moving forward to end the division, restore national unity, and to establish our independent state."

Saeb Erekat, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization executive committee, said the Palestinian Authority had not received any official information from the Israeli government regarding the decision.

Israel transfers every month around $100 million in taxes and customs. The money was supposed to be transferred this week, but Israeli Finance Minister Steinitz instructed his ministry's representatives not to attend the meetings scheduled for Sunday with PA officials to discuss the transfer of the money collected last month.

Palestinian antagonist groups, Fatah and Hamas, on Wednesday reached an historic agreement for a future unity government. In response, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to choose either peace with Israel or peace with Hamas as there "is no possibility for peace with both."

In October 2009, Fatah and Hamas almost reached a similar deal but talks broke off after the latter protested that the terms of the agreement were reviewed without their consent.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-05-01

[Shurup]

Why can't the Palestine govt manage their own tax money?

[Ulysses G.]

Because the leaders will steal it all.

[midas]

Why can't the Palestine govt manage their own tax money?

because the prison rules dont allow prisoners to have such luxuries

[Ulysses G.]

Maybe if the prisoners quit trying to murder innocent civivilians, they might earn more privileges.

[kuffki]

Well the article does not speak the full truth, as always Palestinian media

This money is NOT Palestinian money, this money is tax paid by the arab workers who reside in Israel.

Israel has been giving this money to Palestine for 50 odd years.

In other words, its something like, expats working in Thailand and paying tax, Thai government would give this tax money to respective countries where expats came from.

Israel certainly does not owe it to Palestine, just the the entire world does not owe them any money.

This move was expected, now USA will follow, so will a few other nations.

Westbank especially, they have not had a blockade or anything, so really there is no excuse for not developing the economy and stop living off hand outs, but thats not what they looking for.

Why work, when you can get free hand outs and have a life style better then others in the region.

Edited May 2, 2011 by kuffki

[Steely Dan]

I dreamed there were seven fat cows, then seven thin ones.