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Palestinian Business Leaders Work to Solve Palestinian Authority’s Crisis | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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London, Asharq Al-Awsat- 12 Palestinian business leaders are presenting a proposal in an effort to resolve the financial and political crisis in the Palestinian Authority (P.A.)

The proposal will be handed to Palestinian President Mahmoud ‘Abbas, Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, and Speaker of the Legislative Council ‘Aziz Dweik in Ramallah today.

The initiative will call on Haniyeh to “form a broad Palestinian government which would include all the factions, and also technocrats,” according to former finance minister Mazin Sinokrot.

The group represents Palestinian banks, trade unions, and private companies. It is also calling for the restructuring of the Palestine Liberation Organization in a way which would represent all sides, said Sinokrot.

Meanwhile, former envoy for the international Quartet James Wolfensohn, questioned in his final report to Middle East mediators after stepping down, the decision of Western powers to cut off aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government.

Having spent more than $1 billion a year on assistance to the Palestinians, much of it to build government institutions and an economy needed to create a “viable Palestinian state,” the report asked: “Will we now simply abandon these goals?”

The special envoy’s report said the United Nations and nongovernmental organizations will not be able to fill the void if Palestinian Authority institutions collapse under Western pressure.