PA presidency: Palestinian National Fund not a terror organization, Israeli decision to blacklist it as such nullifies Oslo Accords’ “mutual recognition”
Headline: “The [PA] presidency: Liberman’s declaration that the Palestinian National Fund is a ‘terror organization’ is a basic violation of the Oslo Accords”
“The [PA] presidency said yesterday [March 16, 2017] that Israeli Minister of War (i.e., Defense) Avigdor Liberman’s declaration and statements, according to which the Palestinian National Fund is a terror organization, constitute a basic violation of the Oslo Accords that were signed between the PLO and Israel.
The presidency added in a press statement that the National Fund is one of the PLO institutions that fills its role according to the agreements that were signed and according to the international standards of full transparency, and is under international supervision.
The statement also said: ‘While the American administration is trying to create an atmosphere that will contribute to creating peace through its conversations with all of the sides and the presence of [US] President Donald Trump’s representative in the region, this declaration constitutes an Israeli attempt to thwart and destroy the American efforts and disparage them.’
The presidency said: ‘We reject this decision entirely and demand that the Israeli government immediately deal with this matter and take it back, because this will lead to an explosion of the foundations of the accords and the legal relations with Israel.’
The item also stated: ‘The presidency calls on all of the states of the world to oppose this declaration so as to defend the accords that were held under the auspices of the US and the entire world.’ The [PA] national unity government demanded that the Israeli government apologize and immediately take back Liberman’s statements, in which he described the Palestinian National Fund as a terror organization.
Official [PA] National Unity Government Spokesman Yusuf Al-Mahmoud said: ‘The National Fund is one of the institutions of the PLO, the sole legal representative of the Palestinian Arab people, with which Israel signed the Oslo Accords including letters and documents of mutual recognition. The Palestinian side adheres to the agreements that were signed on the basis of mutual recognition and honoring the understandings.’
He added that any attempt to harm any of the PLO institutions constitutes harm to the Palestinian people, its leadership, its legal representative, and a clear overthrowing of the agreements that were signed.
Al-Mahmoud emphasized the opposition to and condemnation of this Israeli position, and said that it is a global obligation to declare a clear position regarding it, and particularly by the states that provided their patronage to the agreements, in particular the US, in light of the dangers that it entails.
Yesterday evening [March 16, 2017] Liberman published an order in which he considered the Palestinian National Fund a ‘dangerous organization.’ In this order Liberman relied on Clause 3 of the ‘War on Terror’ Law that was updated in 2016.
Liberman justified his decision on the fact that the fund pays millions of shekels for monthly salaries to the prisoners and the families of the Martyrs (Shahids), ‘and therefore it supports hostile activity against Israel,’ according to the statement that was published by the Israeli Ministry of War (i.e., Defense).
Liberman said in a statement that ‘The fund is the largest financial channel and it funds the PA with tens of millions of shekels, which pass each month to security prisoners (i.e., terrorist prisoners) in the Israeli prisons.’
According to the Israeli media outlets, the publication of this decision by the Ministry of War (sic. Defense) will press the occupation authorities to take legal actions against the fund in the country and outside of it, in order to expropriate and confiscate its property and money. This is while the Ministry of War (sic. Defense) and the rest of the relevant occupation government ministries continue their work on all that is related to what is described as ‘fighting the terror activities within Israel and outside of it.’”
On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund of the PLO a terrorist organization. The fund manages financial aid received by the PLO from different sources. The Israeli Ministry of Defense declare the fund a terror organization due to the fund's "massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel," and stated that the fund serves "as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families," and that "the fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded and killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel." It also stated that "the necessary steps will be taken, in Israel and abroad, to seize and forfeit the property and money belonging to the fund.”
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the PA uses the Palestinian National Fund to transfer money for terrorist salaries to the PLO.
“The [PA] presidency said yesterday [March 16, 2017] that Israeli Minister of War (i.e., Defense) Avigdor Liberman’s declaration and statements, according to which the Palestinian National Fund is a terror organization, constitute a basic violation of the Oslo Accords that were signed between the PLO and Israel.
The presidency added in a press statement that the National Fund is one of the PLO institutions that fills its role according to the agreements that were signed and according to the international standards of full transparency, and is under international supervision.
The statement also said: ‘While the American administration is trying to create an atmosphere that will contribute to creating peace through its conversations with all of the sides and the presence of [US] President Donald Trump’s representative in the region, this declaration constitutes an Israeli attempt to thwart and destroy the American efforts and disparage them.’
The presidency said: ‘We reject this decision entirely and demand that the Israeli government immediately deal with this matter and take it back, because this will lead to an explosion of the foundations of the accords and the legal relations with Israel.’
The item also stated: ‘The presidency calls on all of the states of the world to oppose this declaration so as to defend the accords that were held under the auspices of the US and the entire world.’ The [PA] national unity government demanded that the Israeli government apologize and immediately take back Liberman’s statements, in which he described the Palestinian National Fund as a terror organization.
Official [PA] National Unity Government Spokesman Yusuf Al-Mahmoud said: ‘The National Fund is one of the institutions of the PLO, the sole legal representative of the Palestinian Arab people, with which Israel signed the Oslo Accords including letters and documents of mutual recognition. The Palestinian side adheres to the agreements that were signed on the basis of mutual recognition and honoring the understandings.’
He added that any attempt to harm any of the PLO institutions constitutes harm to the Palestinian people, its leadership, its legal representative, and a clear overthrowing of the agreements that were signed.
Al-Mahmoud emphasized the opposition to and condemnation of this Israeli position, and said that it is a global obligation to declare a clear position regarding it, and particularly by the states that provided their patronage to the agreements, in particular the US, in light of the dangers that it entails.
Yesterday evening [March 16, 2017] Liberman published an order in which he considered the Palestinian National Fund a ‘dangerous organization.’ In this order Liberman relied on Clause 3 of the ‘War on Terror’ Law that was updated in 2016.
Liberman justified his decision on the fact that the fund pays millions of shekels for monthly salaries to the prisoners and the families of the Martyrs (Shahids), ‘and therefore it supports hostile activity against Israel,’ according to the statement that was published by the Israeli Ministry of War (i.e., Defense).
Liberman said in a statement that ‘The fund is the largest financial channel and it funds the PA with tens of millions of shekels, which pass each month to security prisoners (i.e., terrorist prisoners) in the Israeli prisons.’
According to the Israeli media outlets, the publication of this decision by the Ministry of War (sic. Defense) will press the occupation authorities to take legal actions against the fund in the country and outside of it, in order to expropriate and confiscate its property and money. This is while the Ministry of War (sic. Defense) and the rest of the relevant occupation government ministries continue their work on all that is related to what is described as ‘fighting the terror activities within Israel and outside of it.’”
On March 16, 2017, Israeli Minister of Defense Avigdor Liberman declared the Palestinian National Fund of the PLO a terrorist organization. The fund manages financial aid received by the PLO from different sources. The Israeli Ministry of Defense declare the fund a terror organization due to the fund's "massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel," and stated that the fund serves "as a significant financial pipeline for tens of millions of shekels that are transferred on a monthly basis to security prisoners held in Israel for committing acts of terrorism and to members of their families," and that "the fund also supports family members of terrorists who were wounded and killed while perpetrating acts of terrorism against Israel." It also stated that "the necessary steps will be taken, in Israel and abroad, to seize and forfeit the property and money belonging to the fund.”
Palestinian Media Watch has documented that the PA uses the Palestinian National Fund to transfer money for terrorist salaries to the PLO.