The European Commission has announced an €82 million financial support for the Palestinian Authority following the initial gathering of the ...
The European Commission has announced an €82 million financial support for the Palestinian Authority following the initial gathering of the Palestine Donor Group in Brussels. However, this funding had already been promised by four EU nations: Germany, Luxembourg, Slovenia, and Spain – and even though the Commission tried to involve non-EU countries, the conference did not result in any additional pledges.
The funds will be directed via "Pegase," the Palestinian-European Socio-Economic Management and Assistance Mechanism, which connects European funding to particular reforms and seeks to ensure the money is used as intended.
The Palestine Donor Group was established by the Commission to engage EU member states and non-EU nations in funding economic recovery and stability initiatives in the West Bank.
More than 60 delegations from different parts of the world attended this week's gathering, as stated by EU Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica. However, they did not manage to make a specific commitment for additional financial support, although some nations expressed interest in the system. Šuica mentioned that the mechanism is "open to contributions from partners."
"Switzerland, New Zealand, Norway, and Turkey, which are not part of the European Union, are eager to fulfill their commitments to utilize this system [...] which is managed and ensures that funds are directed appropriately," she stated to reporters during a press conference following the meeting.
Asked regarding the claims made against Palestinian officialsrewardThe families of Palestinians who were killed or detained by Israel – a practice that Israeli officials refer to as "pay for slay" – Commissioner Šuica stated that "no European funds have been used for these disputed payments."
The overall sum committed this year via the Pegase system exceeds €88 million, including previous contributions from Finland, Ireland, Italy, and Spain. The Commission estimates that the total EU assistance provided to the Palestinian Authority since 1994 has reached nearly €30 billion.
Israel must be held accountable
The Palestine Donor Group was jointly led by Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa, who used the platform to criticize Israel's occupation and what he views as "measures directed at the Palestinian government".
Both Mustafa and Commissioner Šuica emphasized the significance of releasing the tax revenues gathered by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, which have not been handed over to the Palestinians since last April.
"A government cannot maintain reforms if it is prevented from accessing its own revenues. The ongoing financial crisis is politically driven. Israel's refusal to release Palestinian tax revenues endangers wages, the continuation of services, and stability in both Gaza and the West," Mustafa stated.
The leader of the Palestinian government also called for Israel to be responsible for the destruction caused in the Gaza Strip.
He stated that Israel should be held accountable for the events, and they should play a major role, if not the full one, in fixing the damage and supporting the rebuilding process.
Commissioner Šuica did not share her opinion on this matter, even though she was questioned by Euronews.
She hailed the US-backed UN Security Council resolution regarding the Gaza peace plan "as a significant move toward promoting peace," although it remains uncertain whether the EU will secure a position on the proposed Peace Board.
The European Union's overall goal for the area continues to be a two-state resolution between Israel and Palestine.
