Tighter control of payments to Palestine

No education for hatred or terrorism with European taxpayers’ money

Concerning the presentation of the report 'Palestinian Hate Education since Annapolis” in the European Parliament on 18th March 2009, Michael Jäger, Secretary-General of the European Taxpayers Association (TAE), passed sharp criticism at  the current practice of providing subsidies for the Palestinian territories. As Secretary-General Jäger maintains, the report serves as proof that European taxpayers’ money is misused and abets terrorism.

At the Annapolis conference in November 2007, Palestinians and Israelis made a promise: A "definitive peace agreement will establish Palestine as a homeland for the Palestinian people, just as Israel is the homeland of the Jewish people." Unfortunately, this report comprehensively shows that the leadership of the Palestinian Authority, while expressing a two-state solution, promotes a very different stance however amongst the population.

The complete report in English

As the Secretary-General of the European Taxpayers Association states, given the current discussion concerning additional aid and assistance to the Palestinian territories amounting to billions, it would seem appropriate and necessary to control the use of funds more stringently.

Apart from the EU, many other countries support the Palestinian territories. The following figures for Germany illustrate the financial dimension: 

• Germany gives direct support to the Palestinian territories. In 2007 donations from the Federal Republic of Germany for these areas amounted to approx. €55 million. Of this total, approx. €45 million took the form of financial grants and €9 million was spent on technical assistance.
• Germany supports the Palestinian territories with substantial funds via the European Union. In 2007, the European Commission awarded EU aid worth €420 million to the Palestinian territories. This represents approx. 0.37% of the total EU budget. If one assumes that Germany, as a net payer to the EU, pays a portion of this amount via its contribution to the EU budget, this means that in 2007, Germany made €70.1 million available to the Palestinian territories alongside its own, additional funds.

As TAE Secretary-General Jäger goes on to state, the Taxpayers Association of Europe (TAE) and the supporters of this initiative are of the firm belief that in order to ensure peace and development in the Middle East, support is necessary in the field of education, infrastructure and direct payments to poor Palestinians. Long-term, all subsidies, including those to Palestine, should lead to independence.

Michael Jäger further states that EU funding should not be misused for terrorist activities under any circumstances. Unfortunately, without adequate control, there is huge risk that these public funds will fall victim to corruption, fraud, waste and misuse, or may even be used to support terrorism.

To shed light on the "subsidy jungle" the Taxpayers Association of Europe urges that stricter controls are made on all payments to the Palestinian territories and, that these payments are recorded and published. It is only then, that is the transparency which is necessary concerning the use of the funds is achieved.

If examinations show that EU funds are misused, the funds must be repaid and further payments should by stopped until this bad state of affairs is put right.

As Secretary-General Michael Jäger states, with this new, yet consistent, strategy of the European Union, peace in this region might finally be brought about. This would save lives and ultimately, European taxpayers’ money.

Brussels/Munich, 18th March 2009