Palestinian Ambassador to Brussels to "SadaNews": Donor Conference May Witness Signing of Financial Support Agreements

Special to SadaNews - In light of a crippling financial crisis affecting the Palestinian Authority, and the growing wave of European public sympathy towards the Palestinian cause, the Belgian capital Brussels is preparing to host a donor conference on the 20th of this month, with the participation of the European Union and several supporting countries. The conference comes at a sensitive time, where the urgent need for financial support intersects with political shifts driven by European streets onto their governments.

Crippling Financial Crisis and Continued European Support

The Palestinian Ambassador to Belgium, the European Union, and Luxembourg, Amal Jado, explained during a meeting in Brussels with journalists attended by SadaNews, that Israel is holding back customs revenues amounting to about three billion dollars, which has directly affected the Palestinian government's ability to meet its obligations towards employees and various sectors.

Jado clarified to SadaNews that this meeting falls within a series of donor discussions, notably the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting led by Norway since the Oslo Accords, indicating that the role of the committee has been primarily coordinating in recent years without significant financial commitments from participating countries.

She pointed out that the European Union had announced last April a support package worth 1.6 billion euros, covering the general budget, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and the private sector, confirming that part of this money will be transferred to the Authority’s treasury during this month.

Furthermore, countries like Saudi Arabia, Spain, Norway, Slovenia, and France have committed to providing emergency support during the New York meeting, expecting that agreements will be signed with these countries during the Brussels conference to activate those commitments.

She confirmed that the European Union seeks through the conference to keep the Palestinian cause on the international community's agenda, emphasizing the need to provide financial support in the post-ceasefire phase, in addition to following up on the implementation of reforms agreed upon by the Palestinian government with the European Union.

European Streets pressuring Politicians

In this context, Jado emphasized that grassroots movements in Europe have had a significant impact on political decision-making, noting that some governments have trembled and fallen due to their stances on the Palestinian cause, as occurred in the Netherlands.

She clarified that Brussels witnessed massive rallies, where the number of participants in one of them during the war reached 150,000, most of whom were Belgian citizens of European origin, not just from the communities or migrants.

She confirmed to SadaNews that this public sympathy reflects a "European awakening of consciousness" towards the Palestinian narrative, which had been sidelined for years in favor of the Israeli narrative, indicating that today’s youth generation embraces the Palestinian position thanks to the role of social media that revealed the scale of crimes and violations, from mass killings to policies of starvation.

Additionally, she pointed out that Palestinian media and diplomatic activity have played a complementary role in enhancing this awareness.

European Measures on the Table

Jado indicated that the scale of crimes committed against the Palestinian people has led some European countries to propose political measures against Israel, ranging from freezing the partnership agreement with the European Union, halting trade transactions, to suspending Israel's participation in the "Horizon" program to support scientific research and innovation. Although these measures have not yet been fully adopted, they carry a significant psychological impact on Israel, which sees itself as part of Europe, considering that merely proposing these ideas represents an important shift in European political mood.

In the same context, Jado affirmed that the Brussels conference represents a crucial stop within a series of upcoming meetings, including a meeting organized by Egypt on the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, expressing her hope that these meetings will translate into serious commitments to support reconstruction efforts and end the suffering of the Palestinian people.