File This Under Things I Don’t Feel Badly About
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip – The new Hamas-led government is broke and missed the April 1 monthly pay date for tens of thousands of Palestinian public workers, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Wednesday.It was the Islamic militants’ first admission they will have difficulty running the West Bank and Gaza without massive foreign aid.
Haniyeh offered no solutions to the cash crunch, pledging only to do his best to make up for tens of millions of dollars in aid being withheld by international donors and appealing to the Arab world to send more donations.
The Palestinian Authority is the largest employer in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip, providing salaries for 140,000 people that sustain about one-third of the Palestinians. Haniyeh said it was unclear how the government will meet its payroll.”
For the answer to why they have lost much of their foreign aid read below.
“Haniyeh’s Cabinet, sworn into office just a week ago, needs to find ways to make up for foreign aid that Western donors are threatening to withhold, largely because of the Hamas’ refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence. In the past, Palestinians received about $1 billion a year in foreign aid.
Israel also froze the transfer of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians since shortly after Hamas’ January election victory.
The United States and Canada already announced they are severing ties with the new government, and the European Union is to decide on its aid program next week.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told the European Parliament on Wednesday that “talking about business as usual simply isn’t possible” until Hamas renounces violence and recognizes Israel.
Hamas leaders have rejected calls to moderate and until recently claimed they would be able to cover any shortfall with help from Arab and Muslim countries.
However, Haniyeh conceded Wednesday that Arab pledges are insufficient, and his ministers soon would embark on a tour of the Arab world to drum up more support. The Arab League last week resolved to send the Palestinians about $55 million a month, but Arab nations have largely failed to honor such commitments in the past.
Israel has welcomed Western efforts to continue humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, as long as the money does not reach Hamas, which it considers a terrorist group. The United States and EU also classify Hamas as terrorists. “
I don’t know why anyone would be shocked or surprised by any of this. Hamas asserts in their charter that their goal is to destroy Israel. They laud the efforts of those who indiscriminately murder people and then they cry crocodile tears when someone tries to hold them to standards of decency.
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