Posted on 05/09/2006 2:39:37 PM PDT by Esther Ruth
Last update - 21:04 09/05/2006
Quartet meets on Palestinian aid; U.S. may soften stance
By News Agencies
The Quartet of Middle East peace brokers met in New York on Tuesday to discuss the future of aid to the Palestinian Authority, as a source close to the talks said that the United States was edging closer to agreeing to a "temporary international mechanism" to pay employees of the Hamas-led government who have not received wages for two months.
"America is softening its position. The Arab foreign ministers made very clear if the Palestinian Authority collapses then you could potentially have a civil war," said the source, who asked not to be named as negotiations were at a delicate stage.
He said the money could be handled via a body such as the World Bank which could set up a special account for a limited period. However, he stressed no final decisions had been made.
Advertisement
Before talks in private, the Quartet - the European Union, United Nations, U.S. and Russia - heard from foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, who are also concerned that cutting off aid will lead to the financial collapse of the Palestinian government and boost violence in the region.
Arab nations are pushing for a French proposal to channel funds through the World Bank or for salaries to be paid via the office of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, whose Fatah party lost to Hamas in the January parliamentary elections.
In addition, the Arab League has offered a plan to deposit donor funds directly into the accounts of government workers, but this has been thwarted by Washington.
Hours before the talks, Abbas urged the Quartet to end the freeze on foreign aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government, saying lack of funds could "jeopardise the very foundation" of government.
As a result of the freeze, the Palestinian Authority has been unable to pay salaries to 165,000 civil servants since March, prompting concerns of a humanitarian crisis that could trigger an upsurge of Middle East violence.
"It is a difficult situation, but I want to say that we are not going to let the Palestinians starve," said the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana after talks with the Arab ministers.
"A quarter of Palestinians rely on public sector salaries, and failure to pay these salaries could jeopardize the very foundation of the institutions of the Palestinian Authority and the future Palestinian state," Abbas told the Quartet.
"I therefore urge you to ensure that salaries are paid," he wrote in a letter obtained by Reuters. "Besides the potential humanitarian crisis resulting from the general deterioration of the economic situation, inability to pay salaries might have deep destabilizsing political and security implications," he said.
"We hope the Quartet will take the decision to continue with aid," said Saeb Erekat, the PLO's chief negotiator.
Erekat called on the Quartet to give the Palestinian government "the chance it needs," adding, "we are doing everything we can to convince the government to accept international decisions."
The Bush administration says it will listen to proposals over how to pay 160,000 unpaid government employees but is unlikely to stray from its strategy of isolating Hamas until the militant group renounces violence, recognizes Israel and agrees to abide by previous interim peace deals between Palestinians and Israelis.
"The principle for us remains the same. We want to address the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, but we are not going to provide money to a terrorist organization," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.
After Hamas won Palestinian elections in January and formed a government in March, the United States and the European Union cut off direct financial aid for the Palestinian Authority.
The World Bank has warned donors the financial crisis gripping the Palestinian Authority since Hamas won was deeper than it first thought and could render the West Bank and Gaza ungovernable.
The PA has been unable to receive funds from abroad because local, regional and international banks fear sanctions by the United States, which regards Hamas as a terrorist organization.
"The U.S. position at this point is too rigid," said Ned Walker a former U.S. ambassador to both Egypt and Israel.
But Walker stressed the United States was unlikely to take any major decisions until after President George W. Bush has met later this month with new Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert as he would want to get his opinions on how to proceed.
the US is wrong for not giving them money... i need to set up a terror group /heavy sarcasm
I just read that they pledged $10 million. That will last a couple months and just enough time for Israel to finish the fence then let them have at it.
Well really, it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.
There is obviously a moral imperative to avoid if possible the death of Palestinians from starvation, lack of medical treatment, etc. (Although they are in the same position as those starving and suffering anywhere else in the world.) But it is increasingly clear that the Palestinians have to let their way of thinking, 60 years in the making, play out to its logical conclusion, at which time perhaps everyone can sit down and reason together. That, I suspect, is what disengagement and the cutoff of the PA from its welfare dependency is about.
yeah, sit behind the wall and eat popcorn :)
*****the US is wrong for not giving them money... i need to set up a terror group /heavy sarcasm*****
yet, when we do cave in and give them money, the left will throw that in America's face in a few years when the Palestinian terror attacks hit closer to home. Just watch.
We are so soft.
Why are we subsidizing terrorists while we are at war on terrorism? Anyone else find this bizarre?
Give the enemy of our ally money so they can shoot rockets at our ally. Whudda country! Someone pinch me, I must be dreaming.
No kidding. It's kinda like giving money to the Hitler Youth because they work with children.
And yet they tell us we can't afford to secure our borders with our money they freely send to frikkin terrorists.
After reading this http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1629252/posts earlier today, this article was predictable.
yep, sad. I say make bombs with the money and just drop them on the palestinian animals.
You're either with us in paying the terrorists or we will pay them ourselves.
Israel's Best Friend Ever literally paying the salary of the leaders of an organization designated by the US as a terrorist organization
NO, THIS IS NOT SATIRE.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.