Palestinian Foreign Minister seeks Arab funding

Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahar today left on a fund-raising tour of Arab nations as the Hamas-led government struggles to find new sources of money to fill its bankrupt treasury.

Zahar’s two-week trip is to include stops in Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The tour “is part of opening new windows and doors for the government, specially to get political and financial support”, said Palestinian Cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad. “It is an attempt to break the international isolation (on the government).”

After Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections in January and formed a Cabinet last month, Western nations cut funding to the Palestinian Authority. Hamas, which calls for Israel’s destruction, has refused to meet Western demands to renounce violence and recognise Israel’s right to exist.

Israel has also suspended the transfer of about £29.4m (€42.5m) in monthly taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinian government.