Beirut, (RIA Novosti political commentator Marianna Belenkaya)
President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) Mahmoud Abbas is touring Turkey and Europe. His trip overlapped in time with the Arab tour of his compatriot, Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar.
Both politicians are seeking funds for the Palestinians, who have been under international blockade since Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) won elections in January 2006.
Fatah (Palestinian National Liberation Movement), to which Mahmoud Abbas belongs and which lost the elections, and Hamas are obviously competing for money. The dual power crisis on PNA territory has reached its peak. He, who gets the wallet, will eventually be bossing the show on PNA-controlled territory. But what was the point of parliamentary elections if money rather than people decides who determines PNA policy and how?
Arab countries and Iran helped the ruling Hamas leaders to raise the funds for settling debts with the government employees. But this relief is not enough to deal with the fiscal crisis, which has broken out since the EU and U.S. rejected aid to the Islamist-led government, and Israel stopped tax and customs payments due to the Palestinians. Formally, so far the Palestinians have "made it" by changing sponsors. But it has suddenly transpired that for fear of U.S. sanctions, Arab banks are reluctant to transfer to the Palestinian government's accounts dozens of millions of the raised dollars. The Western threat means much more to businessmen than to politicians.
This is a nuisance for Hamas, but there are banks independent of the U.S. and Europe, and other ways of sending money. The big headache is that the raised and promised sums will cover the debts for salaries just for one month, stretching a bit to the second month at most. But the PNA budget is not merely salaries. Besides, economic development requires investment, which is nowhere in sight. What next? Go for a fund-raising tour every month? For all the pledges about Moslem and Arab solidarity with the Palestinian struggle, the sponsor wallet is not bottomless. Europe and the U.S. will not open their wallets unless Hamas changes its stand on Israel and prospects of Palestinian settlement. But this is an instance of wishful thinking for the moment.
A possibility of money transfers via humanitarian funds was earlier debated, but it is not for government employees, security personnel among them. What is the worth of a government without security?
Indicatively, PNA President Abbas told the French Le Monde: "I think the withdrawal of aid is unjustified. If they (the donors) do not recognize the government, why not send the money by some other way. The main thing is for it to get to the Palestinian people."
Apparently, the "other way" is to give the money not to the government but to Abbas, who not only heads the PNA, but also represents Fatah.
If this hint is realised, the Palestinian government will receive a fatal blow. As the Israeli Ha'Aretz explicitly wrote, during the election race Hamas did not mention further talks with Israel or peaceful settlement with it. The Palestinians largely voted for the Islamic bloc of Transformation and Reforms because of its promise to establish order on PNA territory and improve the quality of life there. So far the government has failed to honor its promise. Abbas controls the security forces, and if he starts giving out money, the government will be reduced to an administrative non-entity. Hamas poliburo chief Khaled Mashaal had a reason to accuse Abbas of usurping the government authorities and conniving at the West.
But it is clear that the West and Israel will not feel better if Hamas resigns. The Fatah government failed either to sign a peace treaty with Israel, or make Palestinian life normal. If Hamas goes into opposition, its policy will become even tougher, and it will become a pain in the neck for everyone - the new Palestinian government, Israel, and international go-betweens in the settlement effort.
The question is with whom the Palestinians will side. On the one hand, who doesn't want to eat? If Fatah covers salaries, it will be an obvious plus. But the Palestinians will not forget the Western blackmail and denial of aid to the elected government, all the more so as Hamas and other radical movements will not miss a chance to remind them of this.
Finally, for many the Palestinian case bears out Western hypocrisy. What was the point of elections on PNA territory? Or were they just a game of democracy? Was the election race conducted for the Palestinians, or for President Bush to tick off another name in the list of countries "baptized" by democracy?
But the tick is not there. Instead, there are problems for everyone - both for the Palestinians and the world community.
