EU aid to PA may be used to fund more than teacher salaries – report

European Union funding to the Palestinian Authority is indirectly used to help fund terrorist salaries, against the intentions of the EU, according to a Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) press release.The EU has helped with funding worth hundreds of millions of Euros, which according to their statement goes to “civil servants, mostly in the health and education sector in the West Bank,” with further statements from the EU claiming that it knows exactly to which civil servants the funds are going. Issues arise, according to the PMW, with the fact the PA has cut the salaries of all its civil servants, including those receiving their salaries from the EU, following a May 2020 announcement to no longer accept tax money transfers from Israel.In the May announcement, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas declared that the PA is “absolved” of all security agreements and understandings between Israel and the PLO, in addition to agreements with the US, stressing that security-related agreements are included in his statement.PMW claims that since EU aid has not been reduced, but the salaries of PA teachers have been, the aid may be susceptible to manipulation by the PA, and that they may use it for any purpose. Furthermore, according to the PMW, the authority employs several ex-terrorist who have been in prison for 10 years or more in various positions within the PA, to which they pay a full salary. In March, the EU answered a written question from European Member of Parliament Carmen Avram, where they explained the process in which aid is given.“The Palestinian Authority provides a list of eligible beneficiaries, which is checked by EU-contracted independent auditors against a list of eligibility criteria as well as a second check of individuals considered to be associated with any terrorist organizations or activities. No payments are made to any beneficiaries falling within these categories,” the EU answer read.