Israel Matzav

EU breaking freeze on funding to the 'Palestinian Authority'

The Europeans Euroweenies don't care about Gilad Shalit - who is a French citizen - because he doesn't live in France anymore and they never did care about three dead Americans. Instead, they have decided that they are going to throw more money at the 'depressed' 'Palestinian Authority so that the 'Palestinians' can buy some more weapons and murder some more Jews.

That's the upshot of an announcement this afternoon by 'Palestinian' finance minister Salam Fayyad.

“The EU is resuming its support of the Palestinian Authority in a direct manner through the finance ministry,” announced PA Finance Minister Dr. Salem Fayyad at a news conference Monday.

The money is to be used for a project “to assist the Minister of Finance in ensuring the proper use of Palestinian taxpayers’ money” and that expenditures are accounted for, said UE representative John Kjaer.

Mr. Kjaer signed the memorandum of understanding with Dr. Fayyad, clearing the way for a new flow of funds to the PA government.

"The European Union's first step will be a €4 million project to help the minister of finance in ensuring that Palestinian taxpayers' money is spent efficiently and that all expenditures are accounted for to the highest international standards," read a statement by the EU.

Training for the financial management project will reportedly begin in the PA Finance Ministry’s offices in Ramallah and Gaza City and will be carried out by the accountancy firm Ernst & Young.

Ernst & Young is going to send accountants to Ramallah? That's a good laugh. From where?

But the real story is that now there will be more pressure on Israel to contribute to its own demise:

The financial move raises the status of the PA without formal acceptance. It is also likely to result in increased pressure on Israel to release $700 million in tax revenue collected for the PA but withheld following the Hamas victory, leading to an accelerated disintegration of Western resolve to boycott the terrorist organization.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has recently returned to pressuring Israel into releasing the funds, despite America’s ban against transferring money to Hamas.

In explaining her actions, she told The Associated Press, "I understand the Israelis' concerns about what might happen to tax revenue, but we think that there are mechanisms that they could use in the ways that they have in the recent past to support important activities."

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert acceded to her request several months ago to release almost $100 million in tax revenues. PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas cancelled a planned meeting with Mr. Olmert due to the prime minister's refusal last week to agree to free more money, among other reasons.

Let's give them more money so that they can buy more weapons. Sure, that makes lots of sense....

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:53 PM