Israel will transfer another NIS 70 million of frozen tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority in the coming days, bringing the total to 140 million. Another 60-70 millions shekels have also been promised. Yasser Arafat, who himself controls $1.3 billion according to IDF Intelligence Chief Gen. Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash, has agreed to the formation of a new body that will oversee all PA property and money. Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and other Israeli officials met with PA negotiators last night to discuss the transfer of the funds.
Peres and the PA representatives also talked about Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer’s “Gaza First” plan, and Israel's Foreign Minister is now leaning towards accepting the PA's demand to include Bethlehem in the first stage of the arrangement. The plan calls for Israel to pull its troops out of Arab towns and have PA forces rein in terrorism instead. No agreement was reached, but more meetings are planned for the near future. The delegations also talked of ways to improve the humanitarian condition for Arab residents of Yesha.
A major attack was averted today when a bomb was found and neutralized near a Hevron-area checkpoint today. In an earlier incident, an Arab youth was arrested at an IDF checkpoint near Hevron, and later admitted that he had planned to stab a Jewish resident of Yesha with the knife in his possession.
Peres and the PA representatives also talked about Defense Minister Binyamin Ben Eliezer’s “Gaza First” plan, and Israel's Foreign Minister is now leaning towards accepting the PA's demand to include Bethlehem in the first stage of the arrangement. The plan calls for Israel to pull its troops out of Arab towns and have PA forces rein in terrorism instead. No agreement was reached, but more meetings are planned for the near future. The delegations also talked of ways to improve the humanitarian condition for Arab residents of Yesha.
A major attack was averted today when a bomb was found and neutralized near a Hevron-area checkpoint today. In an earlier incident, an Arab youth was arrested at an IDF checkpoint near Hevron, and later admitted that he had planned to stab a Jewish resident of Yesha with the knife in his possession.