Palestinian Aid
Palestinians to get Russian aid
Hamas supporters in Gaza City condemn
the withdrawal of aid
April 15, 2006
BBC News
Russia has said it will grant the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority urgent financial aid, in opposition to the policy of the EU and the US.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the pledge to authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a telephone call, Moscow said.
The US and EU cut off aid after Hamas took power on 30 March because the militant group refused to renounce violence or recognise Israel.
Iran on Friday urged the Muslim world to help fund the authority.
A Russian foreign ministry statement said: "Mahmoud Abbas stated his high appreciation of Russia's intent, confirmed by Sergei Lavrov, to grant the Palestinian Authority an urgent financial aid in the nearest future."
Mr Lavrov said on Tuesday withholding aid to the Palestinians was a mistake.
Hamas should... recognise Israel and sit down at the negotiating table. But for that it's necessary to work with them," Mr Lavrov said.
The US Treasury this week further tightened the screws on Palestinian cash by banning American nationals from doing business with the Hamas-led authority.
However, the US is making exceptions for government entities under the direct control of Mr Abbas, whose Fatah movement is a rival of Hamas.
Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, vowed on Friday that the cuts in funds would not weaken the people's resolve.
Israel 'a rotten tree'
In Tehran, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opened a three-day forum on Palestinian solidarity by calling on the Muslim world to help the Palestinian people and their Hamas-led government.
Ayatollah Khamenei said all Muslims had a duty to help and should not remain indifferent to tyranny.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the West's liberal democracy was poison
Both he and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched strong attacks on the West.
Ayatollah Khamenei said its liberal democracy was like a poison.
He said global imperialism led by the US president openly threatened the Muslim world by talking about launching a crusade against it
President Ahmadinejad widened the attack to include Israel, which he said was "a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm".
The president provoked an international outcry last October when he cast doubts on the Holocaust and said Israel should be "wiped off the map".
On Friday he said there were no doubts about the "holocaust" suffered by the Palestinian people in the past 60 years and that the Palestinians should not pay the price for what the West said were crimes against Jews.
"Believe that Palestine will be freed soon," he said.
Oil and olives
Mr Haniya said on Friday the suspension of Western aid to the Palestinians would never defeat the Hamas-led administration.
He said the West would not succeed in isolating the government because it had the full support of Palestinians.
"We will eat cooking oil and olives," he said.
Mr Haniya was addressing Friday prayers in Gaza before the start of a series of rallies aimed at demonstrating support for the Hamas-led administration.
The militant group's political leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, is attending the Tehran conference to gain funding pledges.
Iran has said it will fund the Hamas-led government but so far no figures have been publicly pledged and no concrete deals have yet been announced at the conference.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference urged Muslim governments and individuals to continue their financial aid to the Palestinians, MENAFN.com reported.
Addressing a Jeddah press conference with Palestinian FM Mahmoud Zahar, OIC Secretary-General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, pledged to work on a mechanism to help relieve some of the economic burden faced by the Palestinians.
The United States and the European Union have both cut off all financial aid to the Palestinians until the new Hamas-led government recognizes Israel, gives up anti-Israeli attacks and accept past peace accords.
Zahar requested $93.4 million from Saudi Arabia, which is the kingdom’s share of aid to the Palestinians for the past six months. "We haven't received anything yet but our experience is that Saudi Arabia does not hold back."
Mr Ihsanoglu urged the international community to respect the Palestinian people's democratic choice and not to punish them for it. He also called on the United Nations to hold talks with the new Hamas government.
"In the name of the OIC we call on Muslim countries and civil society institutions to support the Palestinian people,” he said.
“We are calling on all OIC member states to provide financial support to the Palestinian government through the special mechanisms of the OIC in the Islamic Development Bank," he added.
Mr Ihsanoglu also referred to the 10-year plan approved by the Mecca Islamic summit to collect a dollar from every individual in the Islamic world to aid the Palestinian people.
Hamas supporters in Gaza City condemn
the withdrawal of aid
April 15, 2006
BBC News
Russia has said it will grant the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority urgent financial aid, in opposition to the policy of the EU and the US.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the pledge to authority President Mahmoud Abbas in a telephone call, Moscow said.
The US and EU cut off aid after Hamas took power on 30 March because the militant group refused to renounce violence or recognise Israel.
Iran on Friday urged the Muslim world to help fund the authority.
A Russian foreign ministry statement said: "Mahmoud Abbas stated his high appreciation of Russia's intent, confirmed by Sergei Lavrov, to grant the Palestinian Authority an urgent financial aid in the nearest future."
Mr Lavrov said on Tuesday withholding aid to the Palestinians was a mistake.
Hamas should... recognise Israel and sit down at the negotiating table. But for that it's necessary to work with them," Mr Lavrov said.
The US Treasury this week further tightened the screws on Palestinian cash by banning American nationals from doing business with the Hamas-led authority.
However, the US is making exceptions for government entities under the direct control of Mr Abbas, whose Fatah movement is a rival of Hamas.
Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya, of Hamas, vowed on Friday that the cuts in funds would not weaken the people's resolve.
Israel 'a rotten tree'
In Tehran, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opened a three-day forum on Palestinian solidarity by calling on the Muslim world to help the Palestinian people and their Hamas-led government.
Ayatollah Khamenei said all Muslims had a duty to help and should not remain indifferent to tyranny.
Ayatollah Khamenei said the West's liberal democracy was poison
Both he and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad launched strong attacks on the West.
Ayatollah Khamenei said its liberal democracy was like a poison.
He said global imperialism led by the US president openly threatened the Muslim world by talking about launching a crusade against it
President Ahmadinejad widened the attack to include Israel, which he said was "a rotten, dried tree that will be eliminated by one storm".
The president provoked an international outcry last October when he cast doubts on the Holocaust and said Israel should be "wiped off the map".
On Friday he said there were no doubts about the "holocaust" suffered by the Palestinian people in the past 60 years and that the Palestinians should not pay the price for what the West said were crimes against Jews.
"Believe that Palestine will be freed soon," he said.
Oil and olives
Mr Haniya said on Friday the suspension of Western aid to the Palestinians would never defeat the Hamas-led administration.
He said the West would not succeed in isolating the government because it had the full support of Palestinians.
"We will eat cooking oil and olives," he said.
Mr Haniya was addressing Friday prayers in Gaza before the start of a series of rallies aimed at demonstrating support for the Hamas-led administration.
The militant group's political leader in exile, Khaled Meshaal, is attending the Tehran conference to gain funding pledges.
Iran has said it will fund the Hamas-led government but so far no figures have been publicly pledged and no concrete deals have yet been announced at the conference.
The Organization of the Islamic Conference urged Muslim governments and individuals to continue their financial aid to the Palestinians, MENAFN.com reported.
Addressing a Jeddah press conference with Palestinian FM Mahmoud Zahar, OIC Secretary-General, Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, pledged to work on a mechanism to help relieve some of the economic burden faced by the Palestinians.
The United States and the European Union have both cut off all financial aid to the Palestinians until the new Hamas-led government recognizes Israel, gives up anti-Israeli attacks and accept past peace accords.
Zahar requested $93.4 million from Saudi Arabia, which is the kingdom’s share of aid to the Palestinians for the past six months. "We haven't received anything yet but our experience is that Saudi Arabia does not hold back."
Mr Ihsanoglu urged the international community to respect the Palestinian people's democratic choice and not to punish them for it. He also called on the United Nations to hold talks with the new Hamas government.
"In the name of the OIC we call on Muslim countries and civil society institutions to support the Palestinian people,” he said.
“We are calling on all OIC member states to provide financial support to the Palestinian government through the special mechanisms of the OIC in the Islamic Development Bank," he added.
Mr Ihsanoglu also referred to the 10-year plan approved by the Mecca Islamic summit to collect a dollar from every individual in the Islamic world to aid the Palestinian people.
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 3:18 PM
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