European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton poses with
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad after signing a
financial agreement in Brussels March 19, 2013.(Reuters/Francois Lenoir)
Mar 19, 2013
Warning of possible "political collapse," the Palestinian Authority has issued a report calling on the international community for help to ease its financial crisis, to pressure Israel to release Palestinian-owned revenues held hostage since its bid for UN status, and for a life without checkpoints in the occupied West Bank.
In the report seen by Agence France-Presse, the P.A. asks for the fiscal help "required to maintain basic functions and services" in the illegally occupied territories to make up for the hundreds of millions of dollars in tariffs and revenue that have been held hostage by Israel.
The P.A. also emphasizes that Israel's current monopoly of Area C--which is comprised of 60 percent of land in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem--reverts billions of dollars away from West Bank economy, including up to $2.25 billion in agricultural production per year.
According to AFP, the report also demands "access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement."
The report urges "international partners, particularly those within the Arab region, to consider the implications of the current fiscal crisis and a possible slide into institutional and political collapse" in the West Bank.
"The recent confiscation of Palestinian-owned revenues by Israel comes on top of an already severe fiscal crisis that was caused by a large shortfall of external support," it continues.
In response to the P.A.'s urgent requests, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton signed a financial agreement worth 7 million euros ($9 million) on Tuesday with the P.A. before a donor meeting in Brussels.
"This agreement is aimed at supporting the Palestinian presence and promoting social and economic development in Area C, which we all know is of crucial importance for the economic viability of Palestine," Ashton said in a EU press release.
However, no mention of of immediate Palestinian "access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement," has been mentioned at the meeting.
_______________________
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Warning of possible "political collapse," the Palestinian Authority has issued a report calling on the international community for help to ease its financial crisis, to pressure Israel to release Palestinian-owned revenues held hostage since its bid for UN status, and for a life without checkpoints in the occupied West Bank.
In the report seen by Agence France-Presse, the P.A. asks for the fiscal help "required to maintain basic functions and services" in the illegally occupied territories to make up for the hundreds of millions of dollars in tariffs and revenue that have been held hostage by Israel.
The P.A. also emphasizes that Israel's current monopoly of Area C--which is comprised of 60 percent of land in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem--reverts billions of dollars away from West Bank economy, including up to $2.25 billion in agricultural production per year.
According to AFP, the report also demands "access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement."
The report urges "international partners, particularly those within the Arab region, to consider the implications of the current fiscal crisis and a possible slide into institutional and political collapse" in the West Bank.
"The recent confiscation of Palestinian-owned revenues by Israel comes on top of an already severe fiscal crisis that was caused by a large shortfall of external support," it continues.
In response to the P.A.'s urgent requests, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton signed a financial agreement worth 7 million euros ($9 million) on Tuesday with the P.A. before a donor meeting in Brussels.
"This agreement is aimed at supporting the Palestinian presence and promoting social and economic development in Area C, which we all know is of crucial importance for the economic viability of Palestine," Ashton said in a EU press release.
However, no mention of of immediate Palestinian "access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement," has been mentioned at the meeting.
_______________________
Jacob Chamberlain
Jacob Chamberlain is a former staff writer for Common Dreams. His website is www.jacobpchamberlain.com.
Warning of possible "political collapse," the Palestinian Authority has issued a report calling on the international community for help to ease its financial crisis, to pressure Israel to release Palestinian-owned revenues held hostage since its bid for UN status, and for a life without checkpoints in the occupied West Bank.
In the report seen by Agence France-Presse, the P.A. asks for the fiscal help "required to maintain basic functions and services" in the illegally occupied territories to make up for the hundreds of millions of dollars in tariffs and revenue that have been held hostage by Israel.
The P.A. also emphasizes that Israel's current monopoly of Area C--which is comprised of 60 percent of land in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem--reverts billions of dollars away from West Bank economy, including up to $2.25 billion in agricultural production per year.
According to AFP, the report also demands "access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement."
The report urges "international partners, particularly those within the Arab region, to consider the implications of the current fiscal crisis and a possible slide into institutional and political collapse" in the West Bank.
"The recent confiscation of Palestinian-owned revenues by Israel comes on top of an already severe fiscal crisis that was caused by a large shortfall of external support," it continues.
In response to the P.A.'s urgent requests, EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton signed a financial agreement worth 7 million euros ($9 million) on Tuesday with the P.A. before a donor meeting in Brussels.
"This agreement is aimed at supporting the Palestinian presence and promoting social and economic development in Area C, which we all know is of crucial importance for the economic viability of Palestine," Ashton said in a EU press release.
However, no mention of of immediate Palestinian "access to all roads in Area C and the removal of all checkpoints in the West Bank to allow freedom of movement," has been mentioned at the meeting.
_______________________
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.