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Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, left, shakes hands with exiled Palestinian Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal, in Tehran, Iran, Sunday. (AP)
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| By Israel Insider staff and partners April 17, 2006 |
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| Ismail Haniyeh, centre, of the Islamic group Hamas, in a bed of supporters, Friday. (AP) |
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Iran said Sunday it would give the Palestinian Authority $50 million in aid, moving in for the first time with money after the United States and Europe cut off funding to the Hamas-led government. Russia has also pledged urgent financial assistance and the Syrian government announced it would launch a public fundraising campaign for the cash-strapped PA.
Iran has long had close ties to the Islamic militant movement Hamas and is believed to have given money to the movement in the past - though the Shiite clerical-led government in Tehran has denied that, saying its support has only been moral.
But the new money, if given, would be the first time Iran has provided funds to the Palestinian Authority, the government in the West Bank and Gaza Strip that until now was led by the moderate Fatah movement, which carried out peace negotiations with Israel, a policy shunned by Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki announced the aid package Sunday during a conference held in Tehran in support of the Palestinians. Tehran had previously promised to help the Palestinians if other international funds were cut off, but Sunday's remarks were the first time Iran has specified an amount.
Mottaki said the pledge was based a long-standing policy to support the Palestinians, Iranian state-television reported.
"Cutting the West's financial aid to Palestine should not affect the will of the Palestinian people," he was quoted as saying.
Iran's hard-liner president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called for other Islamic nations to give money as he met with Hamas political leader Khaled Meshaal.
"Muslim governments and nations, with comprehensive supports, should help the Palestinian government on the way of liberation of Jerusalem," Ahmadinejad said.
Iranian parliament speaker Gholam Ali Haddad-Adel said Tehran would likely increase the aid. "We should not allow the economic sanctions lead to failure of the
Hamas-led government. If Muslim governments support, there will be no need to the U.S. and Europe assists," he said.
The funding could increase Iran's influence with Hamas at a time when Tehran is also under international pressure to change its ways. The United Nations has demanded Iran give up uranium enrichment amid accusations from the United States and Europe that it seeks to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies those claims, saying the aim of its nuclear program is to generate electricity.
The United States and the EU have cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in aid to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' victory in Palestinian legislative elections in January, demanding the group renounce violence and recognize Israel.
Hamas has asked Arab countries to provide funds. But despite promises to give the authority $55 million a month, Arab nations have not given any money since the Hamas election victory. Washington has been pressuring Arab countries not to give money, and some governments are wary of seeing the Hamas government succeed, fearing it will inspire other militant groups.
Up until the Hamas victory, the Palestinian Authority has received about $1 billion in aid from the West. Israel also has halted the monthly transfer of about $55 million in taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians.
With its coffers empty, the Palestinian government already is two weeks late in paying March salaries for its 140,000 employees, and it is unclear when it will have the needed funds. The Palestinian Authority is the largest employer in the West Bank and Gaza, sustaining about one-third of the population.
Mashaal reiterated the group's refusal to meet the West's demands, saying Saturday in Tehran that his government would "never recognize Israel."
Russia pledges urgent financial assistance
Russia has pledged urgent financial assistance to the Hamas-led Palestinian government, the Foreign Ministry said.
In a telephone conversation Friday with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Moscow was willing to provide immediate aid.
"Abbas expressed great appreciation for Russia's offer, confirmed by Lavrov, to offer urgent financial assistance in the near future to the Palestinian National Authority," said a ministry statement released late Friday.
The Foreign Ministry did not specify the amount of Russian aid being offered, despite EU and U.S. policies of withholding aid to the Hamas-led government.
Lavrov, whose country hosted a visiting Hamas delegation last month, on Tuesday criticized the West's "boycott" of the Palestinian government.
He said engaging the new Hamas leadership was the only way to force it to soften its militant ideology and meet international demands to recognize Israel, give up violence and acknowledge existing Israeli-Palestinian agreements.
The Russian foreign minister warned that the cutoff of international aid to the Palestinian Authority following Hamas' election victory would further destabilize the region.
Lavrov said Tuesday it was possible to adopt a mechanism of aid distribution that would ensure the international funds were spent solely on humanitarian needs.
Russia's hosting the high-level Hamas delegation last month, which broke the international isolation of the militant group, was seen as a bid by Russian President Vladimir Putin to activate Russia's role in the Middle East peace process.
The move provoked anger in Israel and surprise among the other members of the so-called Quartet of Middle East peacemakers. It made no apparent headway in persuading Hamas to soften its stance.
The Syrian government announced it would launch a public fundraising campaign for the cash-strapped PA, the Iranian news agency IRNA reported Sunday.
According to the report, Syrian Vice-President Farouq Shara declared that bank accounts would be opened for people to transfer donations to the Palestinians. Shara was speaking in a joint press conference with former Iranian President Akhar Hashemi Rafsanjani in Tehran.
"I hope that Arab countries will not be swayed by the pretext that these funds would be used for terrorist activities. This aid will serve to avoid a real catastrophe in Palestine," Shara was quoted as saying, Haaretz reported.
AP contributed to this report.
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