The Palestinian Authority cabinet asserted Tuesday that cooperation at a national level would overcome a financial crisis.
During their weekly session in Ramallah, cabinet ministers, and premier Salam Fayyad, promised to do their best to overcome the crisis which has threatened the salaries of civil servants.
They applauded banks and other institutions for being considerate to civil servants’ conditions.
PA staff will only receive half their salaries this month as donors continue to deliver less money than pledged and the PA dealt with a financial crisis because promised donor funds were behind schedule.
The government says employees will receive between 1,400 shekels [$413] and 4,500 shekels [$1,330] when monthly salaries are paid for July, but they will only receive the remainder "if the promised funds arrive."
Cabinet ministers called upon donor countries, namely Arab countries, to channel financial aid to the PA as quickly as possible to enable it adhere to its commitments.
The PA's remarks followed outrage from the government's civil servants union that most employees learned from news reports that they would be receiving half salaries this month.
Union official Amjad Abu Raad said "we should have had a chance to brief the workers on the conditions of the finance ministry and the Palestinian government" before the news broke Sunday.
"Hearing the news [like this] in a surprise blow made them furious and resentful," he said. "Until yesterday evening, government spokesman Ghasan Khatib was saying no information was available yet.
"Then the information immediately became available the next morning."
Also at the cabinet meeting, ministers condemned the “oppressive” Israeli assaults against Palestinian prisoners depriving them of their rights which international law and treaties guaranteed.
Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak was also condemned during the meeting for blocking plans to hand over to the Palestinians the remains of 84 militants killed since 1967. Ministers called on the international community to get Israel to abide by international law in this regard, namely the Geneva Convention.
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