A European Commission proposal to "avert or delay" the Palestinian Authority's collapse calls for using President Mahmoud Abbas's office to funnel donor funds to provide basic services, a Commission document shows.
The European Union has frozen direct aid to the Hamas-led cabinet, but the April 27 document, which was cited Friday by Reuters, claims the commission plans to provide assistance via Abbas' office. "With current or even substantially increased levels of funding, the EU will not be able to stave off a crisis but might be able to avert or delay a collapse," the document said.
Western diplomats told Reuters that Washington has moved in recent days to foil the European proposal on the ground that letting it go ahead would take pressure off Hamas to renounce violence, recognize Israel and abide by interim peace deals.
The European Commission said donors could establish a pool of funds in coordination with the United Nations, the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund. The money would be funnelled to specific sectors like health and education, bypassing the Hamas-led cabinet.
Abbas "could act as an interface between the international community and the Palestinian Authority," the document said. "He would, de facto, play the role of go-between for the international community," it added.
