PNA wants Israel to release tax revenue dues soon

RAMALLAH, March 16 (Xinhua) — A senior Palestinian National Authority (PNA) official on Monday expressed hope that its tax revenue dues, which has been withheld by Israel since early January, would be released soon.

Reyad al-Malki, PNA foreign affairs minister, said: “so far, we haven’t received any indication that Israel intends to transfer our withheld money,” the Voice of Palestine Radio reported.

However, al-Malki said several European countries “informed us that the withheld tax revenue dues will be transferred to the PNA treasury after the end of the Israel parliamentary elections due to be held on Tuesday.”

He noted that the PNA recently addressed letters to the United States and several European countries, warning of the effect of Israel’s continued withholding of tax revenues on security in the Middle East.

Israel decided to withhold transferring the tax revenue dues to the PNA in early January in response to the Palestinian decision to join 20 international agencies and treaties, including the International Criminal Court.

Withholding the tax dues caused a severe fiscal crisis to the PNA, and made it unable to pay the receipt of its monthly salaries to 120,000 civil and security servants in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, al-Malki slammed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statements that if he is reelected as prime minister, Jerusalem will not be divided and not make any concession to the Palestinians.

“Unfortunately, Netanyahu is begging the Israeli voters in the last moment after polls in Israel showing that he and his party will lose in the elections,” al-Malki added.

Copyright 2014 Xinhua News Agency.

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