Saudi Arabia donates $200 mln to Palestinians
\nPalestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to address the UN General Assembly on Friday with a formal call for
\nREUTERS – by Chip East – 20\/09\/2011 – GAZA, September 20 (RIA Novosti)<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia will donate $200 million to the Palestinian Authority (PA), Palestinian news agency Maan reported on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
“The Saudi king, Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, issued orders to the finance minister to transfer $200 million to the PA,” Maan quoted Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as saying after a meeting of PA donors in New York.<\/p>\n
The Saudi move comes at a crucial moment as Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to address the UN General Assembly on Friday with a formal call for Palestinian statehood.<\/p>\n
While most UN members support the bid, approval by the General Assembly would only give the Palestinians non-member state status. For full recognition, the bid would have to be approved by the UN Security Council – and the United States has said it will use its veto to block it.<\/p>\n
Washington, which insists on the resolution of the Middle East crisis through direct talks between Israel and Palestinians, could also cut its $500 million annual contribution to the Palestinian cause.<\/p>\n
The PA heavily relies on foreign aid, which accounts for about half of its $3.7-billion annual budget. Main PA donors include the European Union, the United States, Japan and Arab countries. …source<\/a><\/p>\n