Israel rejects Palestinian request for early transfer of tax revenues

The Israeli government rejected a Palestinian request to bring the date for the transfer of tax revenues belonging to the Palestinian Authority forward so as to allow payment of staff salaries in time for the occasion of Eid ul-Fitr.
 
The Israeli Minister of Finance, Yuval Steinitz, confirmed that he had rejected the Palestinian request to bring payment of $380 million forward to coincide with the Islamic festival.

Hebrew media sources reported on Steinitz’ insistence on “compliance with pre-determined regulations” despite recommendations by the Ministry of Finance, the army and the regional army coordinator to comply with the request as a “goodwill gesture”.

---

On a related issue, Steinitz said that “Israel will respond to the Palestinians going to the UN with a demand for the recognition of their state” describing the step as “more dangerous than the Hamas threat in the Gaza Strip.” The Israeli Finance Minister was of the view that “Palestinians are trying to legitimise the existence of their state without granting Israel anything in return; without responding to the requirements of peace and security; ending to the conflict and closing the file on the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees.”

Source: Quds Press Service