By Daisy Ayliffe - 27th February 2006
The EU will provide aid to Palestine before the new Hamas government takes office.
Brussels offered over €120m in aid to the Palestinian Authority on Monday.
But EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner insisted the injection would be spent before the new Hamas government comes to power.
The Austrian commissioner insisted she had received written assurances from the Palestinian Authority’s minister of finance that the money would be spent before Hamas arrives.
“I think it is essential that this money is fully spent by the time the new government comes in,” she said.
Ferrero-Waldner said the money should help pay energy bills and fund the UN relief and works agency for Palestine refugees.
Brussels will also release half of a €35m payment frozen in December because of the PA’s failure to meet benchmarks to put its finances in order.
The announcement comes ahead of a Wednesday meeting between the EU and the international Quartet – the US, UN and Russia.
The group will discuss how to avert the financial collapse of the PA before the incoming Hamas-led government takes control.
Fierce international debate over the ethics of funding a group Brussels classifies as a terrorist organisation is set to intensify before Hamas take over in the coming weeks.
Washington has called for the PA to hand back $50m in donations and Israel cut off transfers to the PA of $50m a month.
But last month, the quartet agreed that international support should be provided for the caretaker PA administration – on condition that Hamas recognises Israel and renounces violence.
But Palestinians have warned the EU not to push the PA too far.
The Palestinian delegation to Brussels argues that if the EU is serious about its Mediterranean partnerships it cannot sanction the results of an election.
“Twenty years ago Fatath did not recognise Israel and they organised violent attacks,” Leïla Shahid, the Palestinian delegate to the EU told reporters following the Hamas victory.
“Maybe Hamas is ready to evolve. They are a smart political force. If they feel they have reasons to change, they will but the EU must leave the door open.”
“The quartet will decide whether or not to cut aid. If they decide to cut aid, that will mean cutting relations for good. The stakes are extremely high and the EU must not cut Palestine off,” she warned.
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