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PA’s collapse will cause ‘chaos in the West Bank,’ warns former official

April 30, 2019 at 12:39 pm

Palestinian Authority police violently intervene a protest in Ramallah Minor Court in Ramallah, West Bank, 12 March 2017 [Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency]

A former official has warned that the collapse of the Palestinian Authority will lead to “chaos” in the occupied West Bank. Ashraf Al-Ajrami made his comments to Israeli radio network Reshet Bet.

The former prisoner affairs minister pointed out that the measures imposed by the Israeli occupation authorities, especially the ongoing construction and expansion of settlements, the deduction of tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinians, and the blocking of negotiations have all shackled the Palestinian Authority. “It is unable to fulfil its duties and responsibilities.” He described the PA’s current financial and political position as “very bad.”

Referring to the authority’s recent announcement about taking “important steps” in its relations with Israel,” the former official said that the PA would “annul the Oslo agreement and sever relations with the Israeli government.”

Israel’s deduction of the stipends paid by the PA to prisoners’ families from the tax revenues is, said Ajrami, a clear violation of the all agreements between the two governments. “Israel has no right to deduct any money from Palestinian funds,” he insisted.

On Monday, the PA was unable to get the “millions of shekels” it is owed from Israel, which the latter claimed was intended “to alleviate the financial crisis of the Palestinian leadership and to prevent its imminent collapse.”

READ: The PA is unable to stop the security chaos in the occupied West Bank