Israel releases Palestinian funds
Jerusalem (Asianews/Agencies) - The Israeli government approved yesterday evening the release of 100 million US dollars in frozen Palestinian funds and promised to ease West Bank travel restrictions. The move was agreed at the first meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas. It was the first Israeli-Palestinian summit in 22 months and came as both men face political problems at home that could be eased by a peace breakthrough.
The meeting – which lasted for 2 hours - is a "first step toward rebuilding mutual trust and fruitful cooperation," Olmert's office said. Palestinian officials praised the warm atmosphere and said more meetings were planned.
The two leaders also agreed to establish or re-establish three joint committees - a security committee to discuss the expansion of the current shaky Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire in
Getting control of the money will allow Abbas' office to increasingly take on the role of a shadow government in the Palestinian territories, where the international boycott of Hamas has made it difficult to pay the salaries of 165,000 Palestinian civil servants.
Olmert's office said the two sides also discussed the possibility of expanding a month-old cease-fire in
Ghazi Hamad, a spokesman for the Hamas-led government, criticized
Abbas is locked in an increasingly bitter and violent showdown with Hamas. Last week, he said he would seek early elections, a dramatic challenge to the 10-month-old Hamas government.