Israeli-Western blockade on Palestinians beginning to collapse
Palestine-Israel-European Union, Politics, 5/23/2006

The American-led and Israeli-enforced financial and political siege on the estimated 3.7 million Palestinians languishing under Israel's occupation lost a brick Monday when the European Commission drew up a plan to provide tens of millions of dollars to run Palestinian ministries and pay staff in a bid to prevent the collapse of essential services.

European officials said the proposals would require American endorsement to ensure that lending institutions would participate without facing American sanctions.

The US has been scaring banks in the Middle East, threatening them with sanctions if they transfer aid money to the Palestinians causing a sharp financial crisis, crippling the Palestinian government and preventing it from paying the salaries of over 160,000 employees and civil servants.

According to European sources, the proposals will be discussed by EU member states in Brussels today and a day later by other major donors.

The EU agreed earlier this month on a formula whereby the American-backed Quartet, which includes the US, UN, Russia and EU, would prevent the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

According to the proposals, the EU would pay a monthly sum of $ 42 million for covering costs of utilities such as energy and social welfare payments to Palestinians working in essential areas.

The US and Israel had hoped that the Hamas government would collapse as a result of the draconian sanctions imposed on the Palestinians following Hamas' election victory five months ago.

European experts in Palestine last month issued a report warning their respective governments that the collapse of the Palestinian government would most certainly be followed by the collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

Moreover, the report noted that contrary to American and European plans, Hamas was not being seriously weakened by the financial sanctions as more Palestinians continued to identify with the movement on its defiant stance with regard to the Israeli occupation.

Previous Stories:
  European Parliament to ask for visas to Hamas deputies   (5/20/2006)
  Abbas calls for giving Hamas-led government a chance   (5/16/2006)
  EU official said aid to Palestinian to about be set up   (5/8/2006)
  PLO expresses deep concern for Israeli measures to isolate Jerusalem   (4/6/2006)
  European aid for the Palestinians   (3/21/2006)
  Hamas welcomes EU aid resumption to Palestinians   (2/28/2006)

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