deejay_blacklight
07.04.2006, 12:28
I have lived 5 years in Israel and also been to Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt and so on, and i am happy to hear that finally there is movement coming up, to no longer financially support palestine, as long as the Hamas has the saying there with its terroristic fraction
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union has cut off direct aid payments to the Hamas-led Palestinian government because of its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel, the EU's executive office said Friday.
"For the time being there are no payments to or through the Palestinian authority," said European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin.
European Union Foreign Ministers are expected Monday to decide on how deal in the longer term with aid, which is considered vital to keep the Palestinian economy afloat.
"The EU will need to develop some new strategy, some new measures, some new decisions," Udwin told reporters. "While this decision-making process is under way ... we are adopting a policy of maximum prudence."
She said the Commission's decision to halt the aid it gives the Palestinian government did not prejudge the ministers' decision, but noted that Hamas had failed to meet the EU's conditions for continued aid -- recognition of Israel, nonviolence and acceptance of existing agreements.
The Commission front-loaded euro120 million (U.S.$143 million) in urgent aid for Palestinians in February to the then former Fatah-led Palestinian government. It included euro17.5 million (U.S.$21.6 million) in direct aid to the caretaker Palestinian government, with the rest to pay energy and other essential utility bills and health and education projects to be paid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
EU officials said it received a promise from the former Palestinian government and confirmation from the World Bank that the direct aid was spent before the Hamas-led government took office.
Udwin said some euro30 million (U.S.$36.9 million) of new aid from the EU Commission was at stake in the immediate future. She added that the temporary aid cut-off would not affect humanitarian aid sent to non-governmental organizations or to U.N. relief agencies.
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- The European Union has cut off direct aid payments to the Hamas-led Palestinian government because of its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel, the EU's executive office said Friday.
"For the time being there are no payments to or through the Palestinian authority," said European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin.
European Union Foreign Ministers are expected Monday to decide on how deal in the longer term with aid, which is considered vital to keep the Palestinian economy afloat.
"The EU will need to develop some new strategy, some new measures, some new decisions," Udwin told reporters. "While this decision-making process is under way ... we are adopting a policy of maximum prudence."
She said the Commission's decision to halt the aid it gives the Palestinian government did not prejudge the ministers' decision, but noted that Hamas had failed to meet the EU's conditions for continued aid -- recognition of Israel, nonviolence and acceptance of existing agreements.
The Commission front-loaded euro120 million (U.S.$143 million) in urgent aid for Palestinians in February to the then former Fatah-led Palestinian government. It included euro17.5 million (U.S.$21.6 million) in direct aid to the caretaker Palestinian government, with the rest to pay energy and other essential utility bills and health and education projects to be paid to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
EU officials said it received a promise from the former Palestinian government and confirmation from the World Bank that the direct aid was spent before the Hamas-led government took office.
Udwin said some euro30 million (U.S.$36.9 million) of new aid from the EU Commission was at stake in the immediate future. She added that the temporary aid cut-off would not affect humanitarian aid sent to non-governmental organizations or to U.N. relief agencies.