PA head Mahmud Abbas. (Issam Rimawi/Flash90)
Despite Palestinian Authority financial woes and its stated inability to pay salaries and debts, the PA leader is building a massive palace in Ramallah to the tune of $13M.
The Palestinian leadership has repeatedly stated that their coffers are empty and they have no money to pay salaries and longstanding debts, yet somehow they have managed to secure millions of dollars to build Palestinian Authority (PA) head Mahmoud Abbas a new palace.
The Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR) announced this week that it will be building a massive palace for Abbas at a whopping cost of $13M.
Dubbed the “Presidential Guest Palace,” the 27,000-square-meter complex in Ramallah is set to house the presidential administration and guards, and it includes two helipads.
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) established PECDAR as an independent institution in 1993 in full cooperation and coordination with the donor community and “Palestine” and in “support of the peace process,” PECDAR’s website states. The body is responsible for much of the PA’s economic policies and projects.
What Happens to US Funding?
This announcement by PECDAR leads to the understanding that the expenses, at least in part, will be paid for by foreign donations, including funds from the US.
The announcement comes as the PA claims it is strapped for cash and has repeatedly beseeched the international community for further funding. Most recently, US President Barack Obama interfered on behalf of the PA in a court case in Manhattan that found them guilty of abetting terror against Americans, enabling them to pay a lower bond by citing financial difficulties.
The PA has also recently been contending with recurring charges of corruption and graft of funds meant for the Palestinians living under Abbas’ rule.
By: Max Gelber, United with Israel
Sign the Petition to Stop Funding the Palestinian Authority
Petition to the United States and European Union
We demand that all funding of the PA be stopped immediately. Unity with Hamas led to brutal murders, thousands of rockets and ongoing incitement against Israeli citizens. Prosecuting Israel for “war crimes” is despicable and makes funding the PA against US law.
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