Will PA get funds?
Photo: Ata Awisat
Ministers set to OK fund transfers to PA
Israel expected to OK continued fund transfers to Palestinians despite Hamas win
Ministers are expected to approve Sunday continued fund transfers to the Palestinian Authority despite Hamas' recent election victory.
The funds are designated to pay the salaries of employees of the Palestinian defense and education establishments.
The most decisive argument in favor of the fund transfers is the current absence of any legal considerations for not transferring the money, which amounts to approximately NIS 200 million (about USD 43.5 million) collected in January on behalf of the PA.
The legal consideration is based on two arguments: One, the money belongs to the PA and was only collected by Israel on behalf of the PA at crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel and the West Bank and Israel. The second point being considered is that the money will be transferred to an autonomic authority, which is not ruled by Hamas members for now.
Through the decision, which will be made ahead of Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's visit to Washington and New York, Israel is attempting to signal to the United States that it will make an effort to maintain stability in the PA, in a bid to prove Israel's integrity, if and when it should join forces with the western world and some Arab states against a future Hamas-led government.
On Saturday, Abbas met with Hamas leaders to discuss the formation of a new government, and the parties reported "great progress." However, Hamas leaders rejected Abbas' demand that they recognize Israel.
'Palestinians must pay price'
Some of the ministers and political advisors who will take part in Sunday's meeting believe the Palestinians must be demanded to pay a price for Israel's willingness to transfer the funds.
At this stage, the senior officials claim, Israel must not accept the Palestinian-Egyptian demand for fund transfers before receiving an explicit commitment to end terror attacks initiated in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as firm action by Abbas' security forces on the counter-terror front.
The ongoing launching of Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Ashkelon and southern communities during the weekend played into the hands of those who object to the fund transfer. Three members of the Amar family were injured in Friday's rocket attack, including a seven-month-old baby.
"If Israel is required to meet its commitments in the Oslo and Paris agreements, the Palestinian Authority should also be required to halt terror attacks and Qassam launching," one of the participants in Sunday's discussion told Ynet.
During the discussion, the attendees are expected to be presented with evaluations of the situation from the foreign minister, who recently returned from Cairo, from Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, IDF Intelligence Chief Amos Yadlin, Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin and Major-General (res.) Giora Eiland, head of the National Security Council.
Officials estimated that at the end of the discussion, Israel will announce its willingness to transfer the funds in question to the Palestinian Authority.
