(JNS) U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen sent a letter to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a list of demands for Israel to support the Palestinian Authority economy in Judea and Samaria.
The United States “urged the Israeli government to release clearance revenue to the Palestinian Authority to fund basic services and to bolster the economy in the West Bank,” Yellen said on Tuesday during a press conference in Brazil ahead of a G20 finance meeting.
The statement and letter appear to be the most direct public concerns that Yellen has raised about the state of the Palestinian Authority economy since Oct. 7.
“I also recently outlined in a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu a number of steps that the United States believes must be taken, including reinstating work permits for Palestinians and reducing barriers to commerce within the West Bank,” she said.
After the massacre on October 7th, for basic safety reasons, Israelis no longer want Palestinian Authority Arabs working in their homes and communities.
Israel collects so-called “clearance revenue” taxes on behalf of the Palestinian Authority, the P.A.’s main source of income. The P.A. said in November that it would refuse to accept the transferred funds after Israel announced that it was deducting a portion of the revenue intended for Gaza as well as the ongoing deduction for money the PA transfers to terrorists as part of their pay for slay program.
Yellen said on Tuesday that a deal had been reached to transfer the funds, which have started to flow.
“These actions are vital for the economic well-being of Palestinians and Israelis alike,” she said.
The U.S. and our partners will continue to take action to degrade Russia’s war machine. Putin’s strategy now is hoping he can simply wait out Ukraine and its allies. We must prove him wrong and show that we will collectively stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. pic.twitter.com/Hsajns3NMk
— Secretary Janet Yellen (@SecYellen) February 27, 2024
