United States/Israel Steps Out of Line with Arab Bank
United States and Israel sue Arab Bank for facilitating aid to PalestiniansMarch 5, 2007
Bethlehem - Ma'an - United States daily, the Los Angeles Times has reported that the Jordan-based Arab Bank is being sued by Americans and Israelis that were injured by suicide bombings, or other clashes in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.
Arab Bank is one of the largest and most influential Middle Eastern banks, but for the last three years has been the subject of criminal investigation conducted by the United States Justice Department. The New York branch of the Arab Bank has been accused of transferring funds to so-called 'terror' organisations in the Palestinian territories. These named 'terror' organisations include the democratically-elected Hamas political movement and Islamic Jihad.
The Justice Department are investigating the flow of dozens of millions of US dollars from wealthy Saudi Arabians to Palestinian groups. The prosecutors have alleged that some of the money was given as a compensation for the families of suicide bombers.
The LA Times quoted Stephen Kroll, a 'terrorism' finance specialist as saying that the case "will give people a better understanding of the way money moves in that part of the world to support Hamas".
He continued, "It's important in focusing the public's attention on the issue of what is and what is not acceptable for banks to be involved in".
In 2005, Arab Bank paid the United States federal government $24m US in fines for violating US laws created to prevent 'terrorist' financing and for failing to report 'suspicious' transactions.
The prosecuting lawyers have accused Arab Bank of facilitating acts of terrorism through providing bank accounts to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, among others. The prosecutors have also criticised Arab Bank for administrating a Palestinian Authority policy of compensating martyrs and the lawsuit has deemed that this provides an incentive for so-called 'terrorist' attacks.
Arab Bank stated that they have never knowingly supported acts of 'terrorism'. Bank officials pointed out that they provide an important financial service in the occupied Palestinian territories, which are being economically suffocated by Israeli policies and the embargo on the Palestinian government. The officials said that they act as intermediaries between banks representing Saudi donors and Palestinian organisations and individuals who are being compensated for their suffering at the hands of Israelis.
LA Times quoted a Washington-based spokesperson for Arab Bank, Robert Chlopak, as saying that "Arab Bank had reason to believe these were humanitarian payments or social welfare payments, and there was certainly nothing in any of the public information that suggested to the bank at the time that these were in any way [meant] to induce terrorism or reward terrorism."
The United States Treasury Department claimed that after the United States government had labelled the Palestinian movements 'terrorist', Arab Bank had failed to review its accounts with the organisations or report 'suspicious' activity.
Some of the the initial allegations of the legal prosecution were based on documents seized by Israeli forces during raids on charities and organisations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The documents are alleged to contain records showing that Arab Bank provided financial services for Hamas and another 41 organisations linked to Hamas or Islamic Jihad.
According to court documents, Saudi government officials created two special fundraising committees to aid Palestinians in resisting the illegal Israeli occupation and conducted transactions through Arab Bank.
The prosecutors allege that the Saudi Committee for Aid to the Al Quds Intifada, declared the life of anyone who died as a martyr, or resisting Israel, worth 20,000 Saudi riyals, $5,000 US. They wired the sum to the families of deceased victims of the Israeli occupation through Arab Bank branches.
LA Times reports that the Saudi Committee made around 200,000 financial transfers for the Palestinian cause, which amounted to over $90m US. A vast proportion of that aid went to hospitals and social welfare programmes, to compensate those injured or imprisoned, or the families of those who fell victim to the Israeli occupation.
The Bush administration has expressed concerns about the activities of the Arab Bank.
Labels: Israel, Palestine, United States
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 2:13 AM
4 Comments:
This post does not surprise me in the least bit. With King George running our country and who thinks that everybody should listen to him is sick. He thinks by controlling the banks, he can make everybody bow down to him. My opinion is that he is full of it. I cannot and will not let anybody tell me what is right or wrong. I will stick up for the poor and down trodden. The point I am getting at is if he thinks by controlling the banks of other nations is going to get them to bow down to what he wants, he is DEAD WRONG! As you know I was born an american and in my heart will always be an american, but I will be damned if I will let my government tell me what to do and I will not let them dictate to me how other nations must run their countries.
Chet,
I was overwhelmed by the way you wrote your comment, but while I do agree very much; it also appears that the American’s and Israeli’s are finding a new way to break their opposition. To accuse people of terrorism when they do not agree with them or stand for the right’s of the Arab people whether Palestinian or not just shows to me the opinion of the West and the Zionist to cripple the Ummah.
I wish very much that all Arab countries see that the West is not their friends until they embrace with kindness not with violence or other means that unacceptable in global society.
As salaam alaikum.
I am a Canadian Muslim writer, my work is intended for a Muslim audience. Please come by when you have some time to read inshallah.
Wa salaama,
nuh ibn
Walaikumu salam,
Thank you, very pleased to meet you. Would be very happy too.
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