The Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank received $42 Million as a donation from the United Arab Emirates (UAE); the money was donated in an attempt to boost P.A. and save it from its current crisis.The P.A. confirmed the report and stated that the donation came after repeated calls made by the United States urging more Arab countries to support the capacities of the Palestinian government.
U.S. President, Barack Obama, and U.S. Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, recently urged further financial support in order to aid the P.A. in building its institutions and boost the economy in the West Bank.
Spokesperson of the Palestinian government, Dr. Ghassan Khatib, stated that the donation will be used to support the budged of the Palestinian government.
The sum is the first donation from the UAE this year, it is added to nearly $174 Million donated last year. The UAE and Saudi Arabia have been the main contributors to P.A. budget since 2007.
Last month, the United Nations issued a report stating that the P.A. could face a serious crisis in September if it does not receive the needed funds to operate its facilities. It remains unclear whether Saudi Arabia will provide more funding to the P.A. this coming period.
It is worth mentioning that Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, will be holding a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, in Egypt on September 14. The two leaders are hoping this meeting will boost the chances of reaching a peace deal this year.
U.S. President, Barack Obama, urged Netanyahu to extend the temporary freeze on settlement activities in order to give the peace process a chance to advance.
Obama said that extending the settlement freeze of worthwhile as long as peace talks are ongoing and advancing.
