[[Jerusalem Times: Opinion]]
Monday, April 30, 2007
This Week in Palestine … Behind the News with Hanna Siniora
Political and Economic Development
President Mahmoud Abbas ended his recent round of meetings in Europe and some Arab countries in support of the National Unity government and the urgent need to end the embargo and sanctions that were imposed when Hamas came to power. Although the Arab countries in the Riyadh summit allocated $55 million dollars monthly for the PA, which will go to the PLO account of the Ministry of Finance, this did not bring to an end the PA shortage of funding. Abbas, and Salam Fayyad, so far were not able to convince the EU to deal directly with the PA Unity government. The EU declared its intentions to operate the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) that pumps approximately $34 million monthly to pay PA civil servants. The monthly salary bill is $110 million dollars.
Civil servants threatening to go on strike, more than $700 million dollars are owed to them from 2006. Minster Fayyad floated the possibility of the Ministry of Finance borrowing the sum form local banks and the interest shared by the Ministry and civil servants. Unfortunately, this plan was dropped, it is necessary to encourage Dr. Fayyad to re-launch it for it allows the civil servants the ability to withstand the economic crunch, and the injection of this sum into the economy will help trigger the economy to rebound. It is the only way to prevent further disruptions of work. The only other alternative is for the Israeli government to unfreeze the revenues so far collected on behalf of the PA by Israel.
Khaled Meshaal, the leader of Hamas in exile, predicted an upsurge in the resistance against Israeli, if the sanctions continue. Abbas and Meshaal discussed the various issues facing the Unity government, political, security and organizational and reconfirmed their support to the Mecca agreement and power sharing arrangements. Meshaal blamed PM Ehud Olmert on the lack of progress on the prisoners' exchange and the release of captured soldier Gilad Shalit. Meshaal expressed that his movement is coordinating with Egyptian mediators and the movement willingness to go forward with the exchange.
Resumption of the Ceasefire
For a few days, Gaza was on the verge of a major confrontation with Israel. As a result of the killing of nine activists in the West Bank Hamas broke the ceasefire and in retaliations fired heavy barrage of missiles and Qassams against Israel and proclaimed that the ceasefire does not exist anymore. The political leadership exerted pressure on all the military factions to resume the ceasefire, the consensus within the Palestinian camp for the ceasefire to stabilize that it should not be confined to the Gaza Strip and that it should be extended to the West Bank, and to be mutually respected by both parties.
Within the political parties in the PA, Fateh, Hamas, PFLP, DFLP, Islamic Jihad, all called for expanding the National Security Council (NSC) to include representation from these groups that will allow for closer coordination, and the ability to enforce law and order. In the next few days, Abbas will return to the country and travel to Gaza to shore up the Unity government and complete the organization of the NSC. The Palestinian public through recent polls indicated that internal security and upholding of law and order is number one on their agenda, and the primary job of the President and the PM. There is a unanimous consensus that the success or failure of the Unity government depends on this issue. A greater awareness within the Palestinian public that without internal stability is in question.
Economic Development
The natural gas field opposite the Gaza strip finally has a chance of being exploited British Gas was unable to develop the field because it lacked adequate customers in Israel and Palestine. Palestinian consumption of natural gas initially is very limited and the only major client would be Israel. For political reasons, under Ariel Sharon, the Israeli response was negative and no agreement could be signed with Israeli companies. This week when the subject was brought for a review in the Olmert Cabinet, a majority of the ministers gave the green light for Israeli companies to come to an agreement with British gas for buying natural gas. However, it will take at least another 18 to 24 months for the infrastructure to be built and the economic benefits to the PA to become tangible.
International Participation
In less than six weeks from now, the occupation will be forty years old, on this sad occasion Israelis and Palestinians are working closely together to alert their publics as well as the international community that time is running out for the two-state solution. Civil society and local NGO's are holding during the first two weeks of June several events calling for the support of two States for the Two People, Peace and Justice and the end of occupation and the conflict.
A call for international participants for the major event that falls on the 8th of June, the holding of hands around the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem to show support for the two-state solution will involve Palestinians and Israelis, and will involve at least 20,000 participants from both camps, the organizers look for solidarity from the international community to join the event and other events during that week of June 5-10.
The responsibility to bring an end to the conflict must be shared globally without such support, peace will be elusive.
Mr. Hanna Siniora is the Palestinian Co-CEO of IPCRI – the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information www.ipcri.org