US CRITICIZES ISRAEL FOR FREEZING TAX TRANSFERS TO PALESTINIANS
Washington, 13 Jumadil Akhir 1435/13 April 2014 ( MINA ) – The US government has criticized a decision by the Israeli regime to freeze tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority.
State Department spokeswoman, Jen Psaki, said on Friday that Washington regards the Israeli move as “unfortunate”. She has criticized a decision by the Israeli regime to freeze tax transfers to the Palestinian Authority. Press TV quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.
She added that the US believes that “the regular transfer of the Palestinian Authority’s tax revenues and economic cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority has been beneficial and is important to the well-being of the Palestinian economy.”
Israel announced on April 10 that it would significantly cut the tax funds allocated to the Palestinian Authority in retaliation for the Palestinians’ bid to join several international treaties.
Palestinians made the decision after Tel Aviv failed to release Palestinian prisoners as promised, and moved forward with more Israeli settlement construction.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has also criticized Tel Aviv for failing to release the fourth and final group of prisoners according to an agreement.
Since the resumption of direct talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in July 2013, Palestinians have objected to a number of issues, including Israel’s illegal settlement expansion in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian Authority also refuses to recognize Israel as a Jewish state, saying it would not accept any agreement with Israel, which fails to include East al-Quds (Jerusalem) as the capital of future Palestinian state.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has accepted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ request to join several UN agencies.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon accepted the applications to join 13 international conventions, and informed all 193 member states they were made in “in due and proper form.”
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters Thursday that Ban informed all 193 UN member states of his acceptance, the Associated Press news agency reported.
The move comes after Israel refused to release a final batch of 26 prisoners, in an attempt to extend talks beyond their April 29 deadline, with the Palestinians retaliating by signing letters of accession to 15 international conventions.
Thirteen were deposited at the UN, one in Geneva, and one in the Netherlands.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian UN ambassador, said on Tuesday that Palestine will officially become a state party to 13 of the 15 conventions on May 2 and is ready with more applications to join UN agencies, conventions and treaties depending. (T/P04/E01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
