 The United Nations is urging donors to provide funds to keep the Palestinian Authority running after Israel starts withholding tax revenues next week, rebuffing Israel's appeal for a suspension of aid, diplomats said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the European Union is expected to approve the release of around $107,000 next week to help PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' caretaker administration.
| That's walking around money for Suha. |
The UN stand has put a spotlight on disagreements over Israeli and Western efforts to put pressure on a Hamas-led Palestinian government to renounce violence, recognize Israel and abide by interim peace deals with it. The UN's special envoy to the Middle East, Alvaro de Soto, will brief the Security Council on Tuesday on his talks in the region, aides said. He has expressed concern in recent days that an aid cut-off could lead to the collapse of the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority.
| Why yes, yes it would, wouldn't it. Darned shame. |
Israel argues that a 2001 Security Council resolution obliging member states to cut off funds to "terrorist" groups applies to the Palestinian Authority starting on February 18, when Hamas was sworn in as the majority bloc in the parliament. De Soto countered that Israel's decision to withhold the tax money it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority ran counter to the position taken last month by the Quartet of major peace mediators - the United States, the European Union, the United Nations and Russia. |