EU foreign policy chief: Israel violating Oslo Accords by freezing Palestinian tax revenues

From Haaretz - The EU’s high representative for foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, called on Israel on Tuesday to immediately renew the transfer of tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority, calling the recent freeze on the funds a violation of the Oslo Accords.

Mogherini stressed in a statement that Israel's decision to freeze the transfer of tax revenue "runs counter to Israel's obligations under the Paris Protocol" – the economic part of the Oslo Accords. According to Mogherini, the EU provides extensive financial aid to the Palestinian Authority to build the institutions and infrastructure of the future Palestinian state. "These achievements should not be put at risk by not meeting obligations regarding the timely and transparent transfer of tax and custom revenues," she said.

Mogherini's statement didn't mention the Palestinian move to sign the Rome Statute and their request to join the International Criminal Court at The Hague, saying only that "recent steps taken by Palestinians and Israelis could aggravate the already tense situation on the ground and bring them further away from a negotiated solution." The foreign policy chief called on both sides to "refrain from taking actions which could raise obstacles to the rapid return to the negotiations." more

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