RAMALLAH, June 7, 2011 (WAFA) – The Palestinian cabinet Tuesday urged the international community to provide protection to the Palestinian people in the West Bank following Israeli settlers’ attack on a mosque in the West Bank village of Mughayyir, according to a statement issued following the weekly cabinet meeting.

It also admitted that the financial crisis it was facing made it difficult for it “to meet its obligations on time.”

“The Cabinet condemns settlers’ torching early today of the grand mosque in the village of Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah,” said the statement.

“The terrorist acts by the Israeli settlers against our people, their property and holy places demand immediate and quick international intervention to provide the necessary protection to our Palestinian people as a step toward ending the Israeli occupation,” said the statement.

The cabinet held the Israeli government responsible for what it described as “the dangerous violations of the settlers.”

On the financial crisis, the government, which normally pays salaries to over 150,000 public employees during the first week of the month, had not yet paid the May salaries. It did not give any indication as to when it would be able to pay them.

Last month the government was also two weeks late in paying salaries after Israel had temporarily frozen more than $100 million in Palestinian funds it had collected in taxes and customs on Palestinian-destined imports.

This month, however, there were no reports that Israel had once again frozen the transfer of the funds, leaving an impression that the PA is truly in very serious financial crisis.

M.A.