Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has announced $150m in new aid for the Palestinian Authority
The ‘Peace Process’ is at a standstill, but Washington is trying to keep the two sides - Israel and the PA - engaged - and it is working especially hard to stop the Palestinians from walking away from the process: even Mahmoud Abbas has cried ‘enough’ in the face of continued Israeli dishonesty in maintaining new colonial building and forced demolitions during the so-called freeze. He even threatened, on Friday 3rd December, to end autonomy in the Palestinian territories if Israel insists on going ahead with settlement construction on lands that should be a Palestinian state.
Interviewed by Palestine TV, Abbas said he would not "afford to remain the president of a nonexistent Palestinian Authority" if the Israeli occupation of the West Bank continued, and along with that settlement construction .
When asked if the comment meant that he could actually disband the Palestinian Authority, he answered, “I am telling the Israelis that they can continue as occupiers, but as for me, I will not accept the status quo.”
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced new aid of $150m (£93m) for the Palestinian Authority on Wednesday 1st December - part sweetener, part support for Palestinian institution-building, a track running parallel to the “negotiations”. She announced this at the State Department with a fine balloon-full of hot air:
"We have to move forward together, simultaneously and mutually reinforcing on two tracks, the hard work of negotiations and the hard work of building institutions and capacities."
Mrs Clinton was joined via video link to Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in Ramallah.
"Progress on this second track gives confidence to negotiators, removes excuses for delays and underscores that the Palestinian Authority has become a credible partner for peace," she added, and we can see once again that the PA’s ‘credibility’ only extends as far as its resemblance to the Vichy government of Occupied France will allow.
Not to be outdone in the hot-air stakes, Ziad Asali, from the American Task Force for Palestine in Washington, responded, "The announcement is a sign of confidence and commitment, commitment to the two-state solution and confidence in the integrity of the Palestinian Authority and its finance ministry,"
The new US money will help the P. A. close a budget gap before the end of the year.
The US and the EU are two of the largest single donors to the Palestinians. During the 2010 financial year, the US gave a total of $739.9m (£458.9m).
Some of it goes directly to budget assistance, including the payment of bills - freeing up money for the Palestinian Authority to pay salaries.
Some of the aid from the US and EU goes to training for Palestinian Authority military personnel.
The EU gives an average of $700m per year, but has been notoriously unenthusiastic about giving aid to Gaza since Hamas was elected. A coalition of major humanitarian, human rights and development organizations called on the European Union back in January 2009 to immediately suspend any further enhancement of its relations with Israel, known as an ‘upgrade’, until it agreed to a comprehensive ceasefire and provided unimpeded access to the Strip.
The call followed Israel’s rejection of European attempts to secure an immediate ceasefire during a visit of the EU’s most senior representatives to the region.
“Israel has shunned diplomatic efforts by the EU and the delegation has returned empty-handed. The EU’s credibility is now at stake. It is inconceivable that we should extend further benefits of European partnership to a government that violates international humanitarian law and refuses negotiation in favour of continued violence. It is time for robust EU action to bring about an immediate ceasefire and end the violence on all sides,” said Daleep Mukarji, Director of Christian Aid UK and Ireland.
No quid pro quo
This latest influx of cash comes after the US has been similarly, and repeatedly, insulted by Israel, which knows it is in a position of strength as the US foothold in the Mid-east, and continues to accept all handouts of military and financial aid while dragging its feet over following Uncle Sam’s wishes.
The most recent session of the Peace Negotiations, given a big launch by President Barack Obama in early September, hardly took off and ran aground after just two meetings.
This latest influx of cash comes after the US has been similarly, and repeatedly, insulted by Israel, which knows it is in a position of strength as the US foothold in the Mid-east, and continues to accept all handouts of military and financial aid while dragging its feet over following Uncle Sam’s wishes.
The most recent session of the Peace Negotiations, given a big launch by President Barack Obama in early September, hardly took off and ran aground after just two meetings.
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