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Palestinian Arabs

Efforts to direct PA aid thwarted

All money will fall under control of Hamas


By Ryan Jones
March 01, 2006

Palestinian Authority officials have joined with their new Hamas overlords in stating that all foreign financial aid to the "Palestinians" will go into the Finance Ministry's coffers, which will soon be under the direct control of the terror group.

The European Union last week approved the immediate transfer of $143 million to the PA, justifying the "emergency" aid by claiming it would be placed in the hands of Abbas and his regime and not finance the policies of Hamas.  Washington has been voicing similar logic as it looks for ways to continue bankrolling the "Palestinian cause."

But PA and Hamas officials together told The Jerusalem Post on Monday that such talk is "ridiculous," and confirmed that all incoming aid will be deposited with the Finance Ministry, which will then decide how to spend it in accordance with established protocol.

Said a source close to Abbas:

"The Palestinian Authority is not a private company.  The money will go to the Palestinian budget for the welfare of the public. There is only one Palestinian Authority."

Hamas representative Farhat As'ad followed up:

"If the money is paid to a certain person, it will eventually be subjected to any decision taken by the Palestinian leadership.  There's no such thing as money for the presidency and money for the [Hamas] government."

Western governments have been making every effort to separate Abbas from the incoming Hamas administration since the terror group scored a landslide victory in January's Palestinian Legislative Council election.

This despite the fact that as of next month, Hamas will control the premiership, all government ministries and the legislature, subjecting all important decisions and policies to the terrorists' approval.

In a more sober take on the situation, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni last week said the Hamas win had rendered Abbas irrelevant as far as relations with the PA and the Middle East "peace" process are concerned.

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