EU gives $78 million to Palestinian Authority
For all the bluster from the EU, here is the reality: it is giving money to the Palestinian Authority regardless for now, with the suggestion that the PA’s “commitment’s and deeds” will be taken into account in the future. Don’t hold your breath waiting for sanctions though. Jacques Chirac, for one, is opposed, and the rest will probably find a way to weasel out. From The Media Line, with thanks to Gabrielle Goldwater:
The Palestinian Authority has received an emergency infusion of $78 million from the European Union. As the check was being presented to the P.A. on Monday, European Union foreign ministers were meeting in Brussels to discuss future aid to the Palestinians. Foreign Minister Ursual Plasnik of Austria, which currently holds the EU presidency, said the new Hamas-led government is at a crossroads and “will have to decide which road to take.” The ministers were clear that any future aid to the Palestinians will depend on the P.A.’s “commitments and its deeds.” French President Jacques Chirac disagreed with the consensus of Europeans demanding that Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel. Speaking in Paris, Chirac urged his European colleagues to avoid sanctions on the P.A. even if Hamas does not respond positively to the demands of the international community.
