Israel transfers promised tax revenues to Palestinian leader Abbas
Jan 19 4:09 AM US/Eastern
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel has freed a promised US$100 million in frozen tax funds and transferred the money to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, an official in Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's office said Friday.
The transfer, made Thursday night, gives the moderate leader a boost ahead of crucial weekend talks in Damascus with the top Hamas leader and is the first such Israeli payment since the militant Islamic Hamas won control of the Palestinian government last March.
The funds are part of the customs duty and value added tax Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority under partial peace accords. Israel halted transfer of the revenues when Hamas won parliamentary elections and set up its Cabinet.
Israel, the United States and the European Union define Hamas as a terror group because of its history of suicide bombings against Israelis over the past decade, which have killed hundreds and its continued refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence. The international community has frozen foreign aid that has kept the Palestinian Authority afloat since it was created in 1994.
The Israeli official said the money would be transferred directly to Abbas for use in humanitarian efforts and to boost his security force. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision had not yet been formally announced, said Israel was satisfied by assurances that the money would not go to the Palestinian Finance Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas.
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