Israel envoy: Palestinians need humanitarian aid

By Sue Pleming

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Israel favors giving international
humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people so long as it does
not go directly to a Hamas-led government, Israel’s ambassador
to the United States said on Monday.

In an interview with Reuters, Israeli Ambassador Daniel
Ayalon took a conciliatory approach on humanitarian assistance
and stressed his country did not want to see the Palestinian
people suffer after the militant group Hamas’ surprise win in a
January 25 parliamentary election.

“It’s against our nature, our morals to really hold a
population responsible. We certainly do not want to see any
starving people or a humanitarian disaster,” said Ayalon.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni will be in Washington
on Tuesday for meetings with Bush administration officials on
how to proceed with a Hamas-led Palestinian government. Much of
those discussions will focus on aid to the Palestinians.

Ayalon said these meetings would explore, among other
issues, how to continue delivering humanitarian assistance to
the Palestinians without benefiting Hamas.

“We will have to find ways to do it, I am sure there are
ways to do it,” he said.

“We do not wish to see a humanitarian disaster of the
Palestinians and we will have to consult and find some
mechanisms and ways to make sure that the Palestinian people do
not suffer.”

But he echoed the U.S. view that no direct aid must be
channeled through Hamas unless the group met at least three
conditions: renounced violence, disarmed militants and
recognized Israel’s right to exist.

Hamas, sworn to the destruction of Israel and responsible
for many suicide bombings of Israelis, has rejected demands by
Western donor governments that it recognize the Jewish state.

BUDGET CRUNCH

The Palestinian Authority faces a giant budget crunch and
relies heavily on foreign aid for its survival, particularly
from Europe.

The Palestinian Authority said on Monday it would ask
international envoy James Wolfensohn to quickly release $300
million in aid from donor countries to pay salaries and keep
government ministries running.

Last year, the European Union gave the Palestinian
Authority 500 million euros ($615 million). The United States,
which has given more than $1.5 billion in aid to the
Palestinians since 1993, has begun a full review of its
assistance programs since Hamas’ election win.

Hamas has called threats to cut aid political blackmail and
has said sympathetic nations such as Iran could fill the
funding gap.

Ayalon said Israel was not concerned Iran might take
advantage of any funding shortfalls, commenting Tehran did not
have the resources.

Israel agreed on Sunday to hand over to the Palestinians
tax revenues it froze after Hamas’ election victory, but Ayalon
ruled out future transfers to a Hamas government.

The United States had urged Israel to keep handing over
monthly tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinian
Authority at least until Hamas enters government.

The Hamas victory came as a shock to Israel and the
international community as a whole, and Ayalon said allowing
the militant group to take part in the poll made a “mockery of
the rule of law.”

“I don’t know any democracy that would allow a terror
organization to run,” he said.

(Additional reporting by Saul Hudson and Carol Giacomo)