Free Republic

Palestinian Authority chief negotiator Saeb Erekat on Thursday dismissed reports Ramallah had offered to drop its bid to join United Nations agencies in exchange for Israel unfreezing tax revenue transfers to the cash strapped PA. Israel froze tax revenues transferred to the PA under bilateral agreements -- amounting to some $100 million each month -- after it began a unilateral track proscribed by the Oslo Accords at the United Nations. Jerusalem's decision to freeze tax revenues came when UNESCO voted to induct the PA as a full member state despite a failed application for recognition of statehood in the Security...