Palestinian Premier: Israeli Seizure Of Tax Funds Holds Up Pay For Thousands Of Civil Servants

[Purveyor]

By Associated Press,

RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Palestinian prime minister says Israel’s seizure of millions of dollars in tax funds has left him unable to pay the salaries of 160,000 government workers.

Salam Fayyad says his government is in a “very difficult financial situation.”

Israel collects some $100 million in customs and other taxes for the Palestinians each month, making up nearly half of the Palestinian government’s income. The rest comes from local taxes and Western aid.

This month, Israel said it was withholding the funds to protest a reconciliation deal between Fayyad’s Western-leaning government and the Islamic Hamas government in Gaza. Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group.

MORE...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/palestinian-premier-israeli-seizure-of-tax-funds-holds-up-pay-for-thousands-of-civil-servants/2011/05/09/AFyS9lYG_story.html

[oberliner]

1. France ups Palestinian aid as Israel holds tax funds

RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — France on Monday announced it would donate 10 million euros ($14.3 million) to the Palestinian Authority after Israel froze tax revenue transfers following a Palestinian unity agreement.

The aid infusion came as Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad told reporters his government was unable to pay employees because of Israel's decision to halt revenue transfers after Fatah and Hamas inked a unity deal.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5htwngmQuz6svtlnUvC2EN_C2or6g?docId=CNG.c1abdfdf972345482d6ae381b79e6ce8.381

[Recursion]

2. 14 million donated vs. 100 million stolen

Nice try, though

[oberliner]

3. EU approves $124 million in aid to PA after Israel blocks transfer of Palestinian funds

The European Union said on Friday it would provide an extra 85 million euros (124 million dollars) to the Palestinian Authority to help pay salaries of essential workers and to support vulnerable families.

According to Reuters, the move was decided on after Israel on Sunday blocked the transfer of 105 million dollars in customs duties and other levies it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, following a deal to reunite the two rival Palestinian groups Hamas and Fatah.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/eu-approves-124-million-in-aid-to-pa-after-israel-blocks-transfer-of-palestinian-funds-1.360273

The recent French pledge of money is in addition to these EU funds.

[Recursion]

4. And when a burglar steals a family's Christmas presents, they usually get charity too

I'd rather the burglar not steal.

[oberliner]

5. Ok - but the total amount of increased aid is greater than the amount of tax revenue withheld

Your last post suggested otherwise.

[Recursion]

6. Are you trying to make me claw my own eyes out?

That doesn't make theft ok. I don't care that French taxpayers are doing a better job at fulfilling Israel's responsibilities than Israeli taxpayers are. I want Israel to stop stealing shit from Palestinians.

[oberliner]

7. No that was not my intention

I just thought you would be glad to know that the PA would be receiving this increased amount of aid in order to help them pay the salaries of their government employees.

[azurnoir]

8. a correction to your post this is not Israeli taxpayers money

it comes from Palestinians

Yuval Steinitz, the Israeli finance minister, said last week he would suspend payment of customs duties and other taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which amounts to more than $1 billion (Dh3.67bn) in annual revenues for the West Bank's governing body.

He billed the move as a measure aimed at preventing the money from reaching Hamas, considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and European Union.

Hamas and Fatah, which controls the PA, have struck an agreement to end their four-year split that will form an interim government until Palestinian elections are held within a year.

In a telephone conversation on Friday with Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the UN secretary general, Ban Ki-moon, asked Israel to release the money to the Palestinians. Mr Netanyahu has been a vociferous opponent of any Palestinian unity deal that includes Hamas.

http://www.miftah.org/Display.cfm?DocId=23437&CategoryID=5

[oberliner]

9. Miftah?

That's the source you decided to go with?

Interesting choice.

[azurnoir]

10. Is what they say about this untrue? n/t

[oberliner]

11. They don't say anything about it

They just post an article reprinted from another news site.

[azurnoir]

12. well here from MFA

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Peace+Process/Guide+to+the+Peace+Process/THE+ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN+INTERIM+AGREEMENT+-+Annex+V.htm

eta you appear to be claiming that Israeli tax payers are funding the Palestinians on the West Bank is that true?

[oberliner]

16. Israeli tax payers?

Where are you getting that from?

[Recursion]

13. Yes it is

Do you imagine they place it in a blind escrow? LOL

[Shaktimaan]

14. For all practical purposes, yes.

It's being withheld, not stolen. Israel is not spending that money itself. It is merely attempting to prevent Hamas from obtaining any of it... which, considering the circumstances is not a totally unreasonable wish.

Instances like this are great real-world examples for illustrating the challenges both sides face in fostering trust, or even just maintaining common reliable economic systems in the face of volatile politics. The average hardworking Palestinian civil servants certainly deserve to be paid. Withholding their salaries isn't going to do anything to help bring about a peace agreement.

At the same time Israel has very legitimate concerns regarding Hamas and a vested interest in keeping funds out of the hands of an organization dedicated to its destruction. It isn't as simple as "Oh those Israelis are at it again, stealing money from the destitute Palestinians!" As long as Hamas is actually using the funds it has to obtain and launch rockets at Israel the Israeli government has an obligation to restrict its income streams. Ultimately this doesn't just protect Israeli citizens... it also protects any Palestinian civilians who might be hurt in an Israeli counter-strike. Avoiding war is in everyone's best interests.

There is no simple way for Israel to funnel money to Fatah alone considering the recent treaty between them and Hamas. It's a serious problem.

[Recursion]

15. Uh huh

Israel is not spending that money itself.

:eyes:

Sorry. Israel burned all of my goodwill away about 5 years ago. I literally do not trust anything that country says anymore. If they say they're holding it, barring evidence I'm assuming it's spent and gone.

[Shaktimaan]

17. That sounds reasonable.

Do you base all of your political knowledge on emotions and hunches or have you ever tried branching out into using other methods of assumption... like "knowing what your gut tells you" or "what you think Jesus would do?"

edit: BTW, you know that this exact same thing happened once before, right? And that the Palestinians DID eventually receive the taxes collected on their behalf.

[Shaktimaan]

18. regardless, it still isn't Israeli taxpayer's money

It's money collected by the Israeli government for Palestinian customs fees and the like (because the Palestinians have no system to do so themselves). It's Palestinian money, the Israelis have nothing to do with it outside from collecting and delivering it. (Or in this case, not delivering it.)

[oberliner]

19. Your assumption was baseless and is wrong

Israel unblocks Palestinian funds

Palestinian Authority set to receive $86m in taxes, withheld by Israel following unity deal between Fatah and Hamas.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/middleeast/2011/05/201151610649153885.html