RAMALLAH, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) -- The European Union is urging Israel to pay the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) the tax revenue dues it has been withholding since early January, an EU official said Monday.
Shadi Othman, the EU media and communication official in Jerusalem, told Xinhua over the phone that the EU position is that Israel should release the Palestinian tax revenue dues immediately.
"The EU believes that it is not Israel's right to withhold the Palestinian cash and use it politically to put pressure on the Palestinians under any justifications," said Othman.
Israel withheld the Palestinian tax dues in January in response to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to join 20 international agencies and treaties, including the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
"There are ongoing contacts and debates between Israel and the Palestinian Authority over the consequences of withholding the Palestinian money," said Othman.
However, he added "there is no agreement to cash anymore money to the Palestinians, except what is agreed upon before. The EU approved last year 213 million euros (about 243 U.S. million dollars), including 130 million euros (about 148 million dollars) to aid the PNA budget."
The PNA has been facing a financial crisis since the beginning of this year after Israel withheld the tax revenue dues.
