Palestinian bank fund labelled terror group
JERUSALEM • Israel declared the Palestine Liberation Organization’s main financial body a terrorist organization on Thursday, infuriating the Palestinians as U.S. President Donald Trump’s envoy wrapped up his first visit to the region.
The fund makes monthly payments to about 35,000 families of Palestinians killed and wounded in its conflict with Israel, including suicide bombers and other militants who targeted civilians and soldiers.
“The decision to declare the fund a terrorist organization stems from its continuing and ongoing activity in providing massive support for elements responsible for committing severe acts of terrorism against Israel,” Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said. “As of today, all necessary actions will be taken in Israel and overseas in order to seize and confiscate property and assets designated for, or belonging to, the fund.”
The Palestinian National Fund’s main offices are in Jordan, and it was not clear how the measures would be implemented.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the move, which came after U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt wrapped up several days of meetings with both sides aimed at reviving the peace process, which last collapsed in 2014.
Abbas called it “an Israeli attempt to obstruct and sabotage U.S efforts” to relaunch peace talks. He said it is a “fundamental violation” of interim agreements signed between the PLO and Israel two decades ago, and called on “all countries of the world to reject this declaration to preserve the agreement.”
The “martyrs’ fund” was set up in 1967 by the Palestine Liberation Organization, the group that formally represents all Palestinians. It and another fund supporting families of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel are nominally PLO institutions, but are funded by the Western-backed Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank.
The fund for families of several thousand Palestinians held for alleged antiIsraeli activities, from stonethrowing to shooting attacks and bombings, had a 2016 budget of $125 million, according to the website of the Palestinian Authority’s Finance Ministry.
Earlier Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with U.S. envoy Jason Greenblatt for a second time this week to try to reach an agreement on settlements, one of the most contentious issues in decades-old peace efforts.
Netanyahu vowed to keep a promise to build the first new official West Bank settlement in two decades, to replace an illegal settlement outpost that was dismantled last month following an Israeli Supreme Court ruling.
The Palestinians view the building of settlements on land they want for their future state as one of the main obstacles to peace, a position largely supported by the international community.