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Israeli FM says not to give "single cent" to Fatah-Hamas unity gov’ t

23 November 2011 22:04 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman vowed on Wednesday that Israel will continue to withhold the transfer of tax funds to the Palestinians if a future unity government between Fatah and Hamas will not conform to principles outlined by the Mideast Quartet, APA reports.

"Israel will not recognize it, will not negotiate with it, and will not transfer it even one cent," the Ha’aretz daily quoted Lieberman as saying at a meeting with Foreign Minister of Montenegro Milan Rocen in Jerusalem.

"We will not transfer money to those who are interested in destroying us," Lieberman stressed.

The comment came a day before Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Khaled Mashaal, the Damascus-based head of Hamas’ political wing, are scheduled to meet in the Egyptian capital of Cairo to further discuss the implementation of an agreement they signed earlier this year to join forces.

Israel has frozen the transfer of some 100 million U.S. dollar in tax revenue it collected on behalf of the Palestinian National Authority in October, a punitive measure that followed a UNESCO vote to accept the Palestinians as a full member of the organization.

On Monday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s inner cabinet, also known as the Forum of Eight (senior ministers), decided to extend the freeze on the transfer of VAT and customs revenues that Israel collects under the terms of the 1993 Oslo Accord. The sum could climb to 200 million dollars by the end of November.

The principles outlined by the Quartet of Middle East peace mediators -- the United States, Russia, the United Nations and the European Union -- call on any Palestinian government to respect past peace agreements, recognize Israel’s right to exist and denounce violent resistance.

Hawkish Israeli politicians, mainly Lieberman and other right- of-center ministers and legislators, have voiced fierce objection to the idea of cooperating with a Palestinian government that partners with Hamas, saying it would deal a death blow to any chances of resuming long-stalled peace negotiations.

But Israel’s security establishment appears to be inclined to adopt a more moderate approach. Discussions recently held by top officials reportedly center on the possibility that Israel might eventually accept a government that includes Hamas representatives and the conditions that would enable to cooperate with one.

"A complete rejection of the (Fatah-Hamas) agreement and the demand that the PNA (the Palestinian National Authority) distances itself from Hamas are no longer being discussed," one defense source, who spoke anonymously, told local media on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Palestinians have called on the international community to pressure Israel into forwarding the tax funds it is withholding, which are slated to pay the salaries of PNA public servants and security workers.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton phoned Netanyahu Monday night and demanded that he order the transfer of the funds, Ha’ aretz reported Wednesday. An Israeli source told the newspaper that Netanyahu rejected Clinton’s request, saying that he lacks a cabinet majority on the issue.

UN chief Ban Ki-moon has also called on Netanyahu to hand over the payments in telephone conversations on Tuesday.

In a statement, a UN spokesman said that the secretary general "appealed to Prime Minister Netanyahu to immediately resume the transfer of Palestinian tax revenues, in line with Israel’s legal obligations, and also expressed his deep concern about Israel’s announcement of further settlement expansions."