Hamas to accept Iranian money
By ORLY HALPERN
On the day that the cabinet decided to stop the transfer of monthly tax
revenues to the Palestinian Authority, Khaled Mashaal, Hamas's leader in
exile, traveled to Iran to raise money for the cash-strapped PA.
"We will not reject any assistance from any country - Iran or any
other," Ghazi Hamad, a Hamas leader from the Gaza Strip, told The
Jerusalem Post. "Our delegation was in Teheran today and will be in
Moscow tomorrow. We will try to look for political and financial
support. It's our duty to pay salaries to our people. The world must
understand that we are under occupation."
However, Dr. Atef Adwan, a newly-elected Hamas PLC member, told the Post
that Hamas would be better off getting US and European aid.
"I think it is not good to let Iran have the upper hand in this area,"
he said. "Because if you are receiving money from any side, it will have
a say in your policy. This will make Hamas a tool of [Iran's] policy and
this is not good for Hamas and not good for the region."
Foreign ministers from Arab League states are scheduled to meet Monday
in Algiers to discuss contributing some $50 million a month to the PA
budget - about the same amount of tax revenues that Israel collects and
transfers monthly.
The Arab League donation was agreed upon last year - long before Hamas's
election victory. However, it won't be approved until the summit in
Khartoum next month.
The PA, whose budget is largely funded by Arab states, the US and the
European Union, faced financial hardship before the January 25
parliamentary elections, but Hamas's landslide victory made its
situation even more precarious.
The US, EU, and Canada consider Hamas a terrorist organization and have
said they will stop funding the PA in light of Hamas's victory.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has warned Iran and Arab states
not to fund the new Hamas-led government. She is planning a trip to the
region next week to pressure Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates not to transfer money.
"America will try to put pressure on Arab and Muslim countries not to
give the PA money, but those countries are interested in helping the
Palestinians so we are not worried," said Hamad.
The US and Israel have said Hamas must recognize Israel, renounce
terrorism and accept signed agreements between the PA and Israel. But
Hamas has reiterated that it will not recognize Israel, will only accept
agreements "that are for the benefit of the Palestinian people" and will
only consider a long-term truce if it is offered "something good in
exchange."
Adwan warned Israel of the consequences of withholding money. "If Israel
rejects [transferring the funds], this might make Palestinian life more
and more difficult, which might push Palestinians to do something
unexpected toward Israel," he said. "There is a saying: 'The most
courageous people are the desperate people.'"
Adwan cautioned that if funds are not transferred, "it won't be quiet
here and we might find that not only are the Palestinians participating
in fights against Israel, but Arabs from all over the region. Jordan is
weak and even [Egyptian President] Hosni Mubarak is weak for supporting
America."
Adwan, a political science professor at the Islamic University in Gaza,
said that Israel now had an opportunity to make a long-term truce with
the Hamas-led government.
"If Israel will make a good offer to Hamas, [Hamas] will be cornered,"
he said. "So why not make such an offer for the good of their children
and our children?"
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