__Kratos__ Posted February 27, 2006 #1 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Europe says it will give the Palestinian Authority 120m euros ($140m) to meet people's basic needs. The European Commission says the money will be enough to keep the authority running for a couple of months. This follows intense discussion by the international community on whether to continue funding an authority run by the militant Hamas group. The PA has already lost $50m of its funds a month after Israel blocked tax and duty payments in protest. Source ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Jeez. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Watzel Posted February 27, 2006 #2 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Big mistake!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kuahji Posted February 27, 2006 #3 Share Posted February 27, 2006 I thought they were considered terrorists by the EU... I don't get it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlimited Posted February 27, 2006 #4 Share Posted February 27, 2006 i thought the iranian mullahs agreed to finance hamas? extra cash Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLO Posted February 27, 2006 #5 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Iran does fund them, and Israel holding back that 50 million means nothing, as it all comes from Palestinian taxation anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erikl Posted February 27, 2006 #6 Share Posted February 27, 2006 Iran does fund them, and Israel holding back that 50 million means nothing, as it all comes from Palestinian taxation anyway. Wait how can there be Palestinian taxation? I thought we killed all\most of the Palestinians anyway . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
__Kratos__ Posted February 28, 2006 Author #7 Share Posted February 28, 2006 update: Palestinians welcome EU aid deal The Palestinian caretaker government has welcomed the European Union's offer of 120m euros ($140m; £83m) in emergency aid to keep it functioning. Finance Minister Mazen Sinukrot said it was a "wise decision" but an Israeli spokesman suggested it was misguided. Most of the money will not go directly to the government but to aid programmes on the ground and to meet energy bills. Both the EU and the US are debating whether to stop donations after Hamas takes over following its election win. See how the EU and US fund the Palestinians The militant group, which does not recognise the right of Israel to exist, is regarded by many as a terrorist organisation. Senior Israeli government official Raanan Gissin said the package was "the wrong decision at the wrong time to the wrong address". "In a couple of weeks... Hamas will be in government," he told The Associated Press news agency. "What kind of assurance do the Europeans have that this money will be used only for humanitarian purposes?" The United States welcomed the EU aid move but made clear it would still review its aid stance when Hamas took office. One-off donation The EU package includes: 64m euros go through UN agencies to the poorest in the Palestinian territories 20m euros will pay the salaries of Palestinian Authority officials 40m will be earmarked for electricity and other energy expenses. International Middle East envoy James Wolfensohn had warned the caretaker government could face financial collapse within the coming weeks. EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner told the BBC the new package was aimed at helping Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas and the interim administration. It is the EU's first financial aid to the PA since the January election. However, the organisation insisted the package was "independent from any future decisions on support for the incoming Palestinian Authority". BBC World Affairs correspondent Paul Reynolds says EU countries may seek a more pragmatic approach in future by funnelling money to Palestinians by other means. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri called the EU decision a step in the right direction "as long as it is not restricted by any conditions or a swap with the rights of our Palestinian people". The group is due to send a delegation to Moscow on Friday for talks with Russian government officials. The invitation angered Israel and was seen as an attempt to reinvigorate Russia's role in Middle East peacemaking. Distributed through World Bank $85m For Isr/Pal integration $12m For UN relief (UNRWA) $77m Food aid $35m Humanitarian aid $33m Special projects $24m Infrastructure $72m Other donations by member states $262m *EU TOTAL: $600m Unused funds from 2003/04 financial year $175m To pay PA debts $20m Spending on new Gaza infrastructure $50m USAID projects $155m *US TOTAL: $400m Source -------------------------------------------------------- Just seems like a mistake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLO Posted February 28, 2006 #8 Share Posted February 28, 2006 hmmmm i wonder where the palestinians will be buying guns from with all this EU money, from europe?, possibly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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