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Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Israel Sends Tax Funds to Palestinians
2007-07-02
RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - Tens of thousands of Palestinian civil servants will be paid in full this week for the first time in over a year after Israel released millions of dollars in tax funds frozen during Hamas rule, officials said Sunday.
None of this is going to matter, it just delays the day when the Paleos hit rock bottom.
The transfer of the funds was Israel's first concrete gesture of support for moderate President Mahmoud Abbas in his battle with Hamas, which violently seized control of the Gaza Strip last month. Dispensing the salaries allows the West Bank-based government to assert its legitimacy, disputed by the Hamas rulers in Gaza. The salaries will bypass employees hired by Hamas, including the 6,000 members of the militant group's security forces. Security forces in Gaza were told they would be paid only if they stayed home and refused to work under Hamas command.

Under Hamas, the 165,000 government employees had only received irregular, partial payments because of an international aid boycott imposed over the group's refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel.

The Israeli government said $119 million were transferred Sunday, and Palestinian officials confirmed they received it. The Israelis said there would be another transfer in coming days.
Since Hamas came to power in March 2006, Israel had frozen roughly $600 million, mostly customs duties that it collects on behalf of the Palestinians under interim peace accords. The tax funds account for roughly half of the Palestinian government's operating budget, and the cutoff had crippled the economy.

"Israel is committed to ... strengthening the new (Palestinian) government and to cooperate fully both in the financial and security realms," said Olmert spokeswoman Miri Eisin.

"Some of the actions already taken by the Palestinian government ... will help us to find, slowly and cautiously, paths of cooperation," Olmert said. "At the same time, the war on terror continues and will not cease."
Posted by:Steve White

#12  When considering the Paleos, betting on the worst possible outcome is always easy money, LH.

But just because Fatah was the weaker devil does not make it an angel.
Posted by: Grumenk Philalzabod0723   2007-07-02 18:45  

#11  BTW, need I remind everyone, that when folks here were talking about popcorn, and looking forward (implicitly) to an extended Pal Civil war, I indicated that Civil Wars are often won? Who here predicted IN ADVANCE that Hamas would blow away Fatah?
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2007-07-02 13:58  

#10   "LH, I'm not convinced that the Fayed gummint is committed to anything other than 1) it's own survival and 2) death to the Joooz."

I see no particular evidence they are committed to 2.


"Fayed doesn't have to say he's committed to the destruction of Israel -- all his fellow Paleos understand."

I disagree.

"Note that he hasn't said anything about a two-state solution,"

I'll have to do some googling. My understanding is he has. Certainly Abbas has accepted Oslo, and the Road Map, and my impression was the the new govt had done so explicitly as well.


" foregoing the right of return, etc."

We've been over that before. Its a bargaining chip, one of the few the Pals have. They are not going to give it up BEFORE negotiations. They will give it up (except for some face saving device) as part of negotiations, in exchange for something else.


"Any of those things would be a death sentence and thus violate rule #1, above."

Well again, Abbas has explicitly accepted a two state solution.


"I am in agreement with those who say that Fatah is incompetent -- they're the old boys who were there to help Arafat hold and divide the boodle. They know little about fighting and thus got their asses well and truly kicked. If they have a shoot-out with Hamas in the West Bank, they'll lose there as well. I don't know if that's 'left' or 'right', but it does seem to be reality."

Hamas didnt have much experience with conventional war either. Yeah they won in Gaza. Again, thats the center of their strength. And Dahlan, Fatahs man in Gaza, was absent.

I obviously cant guarantee Fatah can beat Hamas on the WB. I dont think one can generalize from Gaza, though. And I do think the idea is to weaken Hamas so much, they cant even get to that point.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2007-07-02 13:52  

#9  LH, I'm not convinced that the Fayed gummint is committed to anything other than 1) it's own survival and 2) death to the Joooz.

Fayed doesn't have to say he's committed to the destruction of Israel -- all his fellow Paleos understand. Note that he hasn't said anything about a two-state solution, foregoing the right of return, etc. Any of those things would be a death sentence and thus violate rule #1, above.

I am in agreement with those who say that Fatah is incompetent -- they're the old boys who were there to help Arafat hold and divide the boodle. They know little about fighting and thus got their asses well and truly kicked. If they have a shoot-out with Hamas in the West Bank, they'll lose there as well. I don't know if that's 'left' or 'right', but it does seem to be reality.

Public relations has its place, of course, but throwing money at Fatah seems (to me, at least) do delay the necessary day of reckoning when the average Palestinian finally decides that he/she has been well and truly beaten, and it's time to have a true peace.
Posted by: Steve White   2007-07-02 13:20  

#8  '"Palestinian government" that is publically and privately committed '

The Fayed govt is not publically commited to the destruction of Israel.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2007-07-02 11:05  

#7  "Israel is committed to ... strengthening the new (Palestinian) government

The very same "Palestinian government" that is publically and privately committed to destroying Israel--how nice of the Israelis. This is bad craziness.
Posted by: Crusader   2007-07-02 10:49  

#6  Well then Steve seems to be in agreement with a number of leftie commentators, who say that Hamas support on the West Bank is considerable, that Fatah is divided and incompetent, and that Hamas will inevitably beat Fatah on the WB as well. (And of course its not just Steve, as far as I know Bibi and lots of other well-informed non-lefty people hold that as well)

Well it MAY be true. I think the chance that Fayed and Abbas can make it through are worth the costs of the measures proposes so far. And the "hasbara" (PR) value is important.
Posted by: Liberalhawk   2007-07-02 10:06  

#5  "...Security forces in Gaza were told they would be paid only if they stayed home and refused to work under Hamas command."

like being paid not to grow corn
Posted by: mhw   2007-07-02 09:49  

#4  Russian Roullette?

Nope: "guess the right wire".
Posted by: gromgoru   2007-07-02 09:14  

#3  "games of chance"

Russian Roullette?
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-07-02 07:29  

#2  I agree with Steve's highlighted sentiment.
Posted by: twobyfour   2007-07-02 02:22  

#1  I suppose this might not be the worst idea. Better though would be to relocate them and give them buildings in which to play games of chance.
Posted by: Mike N.    2007-07-02 00:15  

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