CAIRO,
January 15, 2015 (WAFA) – In response to financial crisis gripping the
Palestinian Authority, President Mahmoud Abbas Thursday hinted that he would
dissolve the PA.
Abbas
said during a speech addressing Arab Foreign Ministers in a Cairo meeting, that
should the situation remains as it is, he would hand over the responsibility of
running the Occupied Palestinian Territory back to Israel.
The
Arab Peace Initiative Committee convened Thursday in Cairo at the ministerial
level under the chairmanship of First Deputy Prime Minister and Kuwait Foreign
Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah to discuss latest developments on the
Palestinian level.
The PA is facing a
crisis in terms of paying public servant wages as a result of Israel’s decision
to freeze PA’s tax revenues as a punitive measure. Israel has frozen the
transfer of approximately $127 million in tax revenues it collects on behalf of
the PA after the latter signed a letter of accession to join the International
Criminal Court (ICC).
Abbas
urged the neighboring Arab countries to provide the PA with an urgent financial
safety net to compensate for the budget deficit.
In response to the
United States Senate’s prospective move to immediately halt approximately $400
million in aid to the PA in order to halt its effort to join the ICC to pursue
war crime charges against Israel, Abbas stressed that he firmly rejects the US
stance.
“We would vehemently protest against this step
since we informed the US about our intention to join the ICC before submitting
the application. Had the US forced Israel to freeze settlement construction, we
would not have joined the ICC.”
He explained, “As a
result of being compelled to take this step, we should not be punished.”
Abbas called on the
convening ministers to urge their states to pay $100 million in urgent aid for
the PA, especially that it is unlikely that Israel would soon unfreeze the seized
tax revenues.
He expressed
intention to resubmit the statehood draft resolution to the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) and proposed an Arab ministerial committee to be formed
to examine the version of the draft resolution and approve its content.
Abbas also called for a concerted Arab effort to make sure an international protection is provided to the Palestinians and that such a request is listed as an item on the UN’s agenda.
Abbas refused to link the negotiations or the Palestinian cause to the elections in Israel, stressing that “it needs a UN resolution, and in particular an American decision.”
Abbas addressed his participation in an anti-terror French march, which was held in Paris a few days ago with the participation of many world leaders, to denounce the attack on the satirical magazine 'Charlie Hebdo', and in solidarity with the victims of terrorist attacks in France, saying Arabs and Palestinians are against 'terrorism and violence.'
Premier Rami
Hamdallah has recently slammed the Israeli move as ‘illegal’ that stands in
violation with international laws and norms.
The Palestine
Liberation Organization Executive Committee Member Saeb Erekat has also described
the move as an act of “piracy”.
“Israel is using piracy against international
law. This is not Israeli charity to the Palestinian people they are
withholding, but our own money, which is rightfully ours,” Erekat said.
“By taking such steps Israel aims at breaking
the will of a nation that is using peaceful tools granted by international law
in its struggle against colonialism and in its pursuit of freedom and independence.
Just as any other colonial power before, Israel will not succeed,” Erekat
added.
K.F/M.H
