TUC calls on UK government to support direct funding for the Palestinian Authority

Dr Kim Howells MP
Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
King Charles Street
London SW1A 2AH

Dear Kim

EU policy on funding the Palestinian Authority

I am writing to urge you to change the Government's current policy on EU funding for the Palestinian Authority, and to ask whether you would meet a delegation from the TUC to explain our case, which is based on the representations we have received from our colleagues in the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU). Because of their interest in the matter, I am making this letter public.

I hope that you received a report of the discussion which took place on 5 June at the regular FCO-TUC advisory council meeting, at which I raised the matter on behalf of the TUC.

As you know, the impact of withholding EU funding, and the decision of the Israeli government to withhold moneys which rightfully belong to the PA (where we welcome your pressure on them to pass the funds on, and which we will be taking up with the Histadrut trade union confederation in Israel) has been that the Authority has run out of money very quickly. This seriously affects many people working in the public sector (which accounts for a third of all employment in the West Bank and Gaza - where unemployment runs at 40%), as well as the Palestinian economy as a whole. We are concerned about the humanitarian crisis this has produced, but we are also worried about the political implications.

The TUC believes that this looks like punishing the Palestinian people for voting the 'wrong' way in the elections. We believe that the most sensible way to promote peace and stability in the region is not to show favour between different governments, but to commit to funding the Authority whoever wins the elections.

I understand that the Government currently believes that the PA under Hamas is committed to terrorism and to hostility against its neighbours, and that you could not countenance funding for such a government. The TUC has in other circumstances argued along similar lines about the criteria for giving aid to governments. But we believe that the key issue in this case is what impact the current policy will have on the Palestinian people and on the political situation and we believe that the answer to that impels the EU to resume funding the PA directly.

I would be grateful for your response to these concerns, and, if you feel a meeting would be useful to discuss the matter in greater depth, I would be grateful if your office could get in touch with the TUC's Head of EU and International Relations, Owen Tudor, as above.

Yours sincerely
Frances O'Grady
Deputy General Secretary