Posted on 05/07/2006 6:27:59 PM PDT by voletti
JERUSALEM: A proposed trust fund for donors to pay overdue Palestinian salaries would undercut Hamas, not strengthen it, says a British document meant to increase pressure on the United States to drop objections to the plan.
Britain circulated the memo on the proposal, aimed at averting a collapse of basic services provided by the Palestinian Authority, to major donors ahead of a meeting on Tuesday of the Quartet of Middle East mediators, Western diplomats said.
The four-page document argues, in response to US efforts to block creation of such a fund, that it “will not undermine the diplomatic effort” to persuade Hamas to renounce violence, recognise Israel and abide by interim peace accords.
The United States is concerned that allowing the international community to pay Palestinians’ salaries would take pressure off Hamas, Western diplomats said. But Britain argues that if Palestinians end up receiving crucial aid through channels other than Hamas, the Islamic militant group stands to lose “a big part of its street credibility and hence have an incentive to come closer to what the international community wants”.
Meanwhile, Russia said on sunda the “quartet” of diplomatic powers that will meet this week to discuss Middle East peace must find a way to bring financial aid to the Palestinians after the US and EU froze assistance to the Hamas-led government.
“One of the quartet’s main subjects (of discussion) will of course be the worsening of the humanitarian and socio-economic crisis in the Palestinian territories,” Russian foreign ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said in a statement. Agencies
What planet do these folks live on? It will just teach the Arabs that there are no negative consequenses to electing terrorists.
They want to be a state and they cant pay salaries without charity. Their only export is terror.
Exactly. The Palestinians elected Hamas. Let them suffer the consequences.
"What planet do these folks live on? It will just teach the Arabs that there are no negative consequenses to electing terrorists."
They are the same idiots who think they 'discipline' kids by giving them everythey they whine for, then wonder why they act like spoiled brats.
You think allowing govt. in Palestine to collapse into anarchy will A) Reduce the likelihood of terrorism or B) Increase it?
This fund is exactly the same principle as the Marshall plan - if you allow nations to descend into anarchy, you make a much bigger problem for yourself and for Israel. It is better to invest in the stable parts of the Palestinian state than let it collapse and create a monster. It really sticks in my throat sending money to them after they elect Hamas, but boycotting them will only strengthen the hold Hamas has over the palestinians, not weaken it because as we know, arabs are never strong enough to stand up and overturn their governments, however bad they are.
It's NOTHING like the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan's receipients were our allies, and a defeated German people who were sick to death of war and just trying to survive. The so-called Palestinians are niether defeated nor sick of war. They are deteremined to wipe Israel off the map, believe they are winning, and wholeheartedly support terrorism. And there are no "stable parts of the Palestinian state". It is not a state, but a territory run by various terrorist warlords. Any money sent there will end up supporting terrorists. It's not a question of creating a monster. The monster exists, the only question is whether to feed it or starve it.
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