Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh today appealed for ‘strong international support to overcome political and financial challenges, enhance reform efforts, and advance development plans,” considering investing in Palestine is an investment in peace and stability in the region.
This came in his speech during the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) donors’ meeting at the United Nations headquarters in New York, which was chaired by Norwegian Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt, in the presence of foreign ministers and representatives of 30 countries and international organizations, and in the presence of Finance Minister Shukri Bishara.
The Prime Minister thanked Norway for hosting the meeting, and the international community that has supported Palestine since the Oslo Accord, which coincided with the 30th anniversary of its signing.
He also welcomed the joint European-Arab effort to revive the Arab Peace Initiative, as well as the efforts of the United States to bring the parties to the table.
“It is clear to all of us that the Oslo Accords have vanished in all aspects: security, political, legal and financial, as Israel violates the agreement every day with its illegal measures,” he said, calling on the international community to protect the two-state solution through effective measures, recognizing the State of Palestine and approving its membership in the United Nations and international institutions, enforcing international law and United Nations Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334, which explicitly prohibits trade in settlement goods and dealing with settler institutions, and holding Israel accountable for its human rights violations.
“The Israeli government is working systematically to undermine the establishment of the Palestinian state and push the National Authority to the brink of collapse through its daily incursions into our villages, cities and camps, as it works to reoccupy the West Bank and accelerate the pace of building and expanding settlements,” said the Prime Minister.
“This Israeli government is inciting the Israelis to take up arms against the Palestinians, and since the beginning of this year, it has killed 241 Palestinians, while there are 5,200 Palestinians in Israeli prisons. It also holds the bodies of 142 martyrs in refrigerators and 256 other martyrs in the cemeteries of numbers,” he added.
“The Israeli government includes ministers accused of terrorist acts. They cannot be considered partners in peace, neither for us nor for the international community. The changes it is making to the Israeli judicial system will lead to accelerating the confiscation of lands and facilitating the killing of Palestinians,” said Shtayyeh, adding, ‘These devastating measures, and many others, ignite open conflict within a contemporary apartheid regime, both de jure and de facto.’
He pointed out that demographics play a role in this conflict, as today the number of Palestinians outnumbers Israeli Jews in historic Palestine.
“The Israeli government has caused a severe financial crisis. It is illegally withholding our money under false pretexts, in addition to uncontrolled deductions related to electricity, water, and sewage bills,” he said.
‘The systematic piracy of Palestinian funds has now exceeded $800 million annually, exceeding our annual deficit by $200 million, which has affected our ability to fulfill our obligations and pay public sector salaries in full. At the same time, international aid has decreased significantly, as it has dropped from 30% of our budget to only 3%.’
The Prime Minister stressed: ‘Despite the great challenges, our commitment to serving our people remains steadfast. We adhere to our responsibilities towards them wherever they are, whether they are under the Israeli siege in the Gaza Strip, or under Israeli control in Area C and occupied Jerusalem, or in the refugee camps in Lebanon and Syria. We bear national and political responsibility towards our people, even when collecting taxes is not possible.’
The Prime Minister briefed the meeting on the progress made in implementing the reforms agenda, calling on those present at the meeting to make every effort to put pressure on Israel to enable Palestinian elections in all parts of Palestine, including Jerusalem.
He said that the government is about to finalize the development plan for the years 2024-2029, which is based on a set of goals that include strengthening the resilience of the Palestinian people, gradually breaking away from the relationship of dependency with the occupying state by expanding the production base of the Palestinian economy and diversifying the trade relationship, in addition to strengthening and improving services in public institutions and strengthening the Palestinian narrative.
For his part, Finance Minister Shukri Bishara warned that Israeli economic practices exacerbate the Palestinian Authority’s financial crisis, stressing that stopping monetary deductions will lead to revenue growth of more than $200 million annually.
He said, ‘If the Israeli authorities agree to transfer customs authority to us and give us approval to establish a network of customs warehouses, the expected increase in customs revenues will not be less than $300 million annually.’
He noted that by transferring the Palestinian share of crossing fees and all previous dues in this area, Palestinian revenues will be enhanced this year by approximately $200 million, and no less than $20 million annually.
Bishara said that if the Israeli authorities agree to give the Palestinians sovereignty in Area C and exercise their rights to build and operate, the economic benefit that will be generated will transform the Palestinian economy.
Source: Palestine news & Information Agency