While Israel continues to strangle Palestine maliciously, destroying her agricultural economy through the deliberate blockading of the latter's farm produce from export to overseas markets, and withholding Palestinian tax revenue that Israel collects [supposedly on Palestine's behalf] at border points, and while Israel’s toady, the USA ungraciously demanded back $50 million worth of financial aid already given to the Palestinian Authority (President Abbas has just returned an initial $30 million, with the other 20 million to follow), the rest of the world are chipping in.
The European Union has approved an emergency fund of $114 million. The World Bank has approved $42 million, with significant contributions from European Commission, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain and Britain. Norway has additionally approved an interim $10 million for teachers' pay. Iran and Russia have promised similar financial aid.
The Chinese foreign minister, Li Zhaoxing said his country has long supported the Palestinian cause and will respond favourably to any Palestinian request for financial aid. He said that there are alternative ways of dealing with the region besides the America's 'either you are with us or against us’ approach, taking a swipe at American aggression and bullying ways.
Alastair Crooke of the Conflicts Forum, a group promoting dialogue between the Western and Muslim worlds, said: "This announcement marks a significant increase of what China had done before and reflects how lost the West has become in the Middle East."
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