For fear of the collapse of power.. Biden’s aides proposed imposing sanctions on Smotrich | News

The Times of Israel quoted an American official as saying that in recent weeks, senior aides to President Joe Biden have raised the idea of ​​imposing sanctions on the far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, as anxiety and frustration in Washington reach their peak over the possible imminent collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

The Times of Israel said that it may not be likely to impose sanctions on Smotrich, but the thought of such an unprecedented step highlights the extent of concern in Washington.

She added that the Biden administration fears that the collapse of the Palestinian Authority will lead to chaos in the West Bank that the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and Islamic Jihad will exploit to open a new front in the war.

In turn, Axios quoted American officials as saying that the Biden administration is concerned about the possibility of the collapse of the Palestinian Authority if Israel does not transfer tax revenues to it.

American and Israeli officials indicated – according to the site – that US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to release Palestinian tax revenues.

The sources added that Blinken informed Netanyahu that the issue of tax revenues is important to Washington and must be resolved.

Tax revenues – which Israel collects for the Palestinian Authority under an agreement between the two parties – constitute a major source of income for the Palestinian Authority, which is already suffering from a deep financial crisis.

A few days ago, Smotrich ordered the deduction of 35 million US dollars from the Palestinian Authority’s tax funds (clearance), and transferring them to Israeli families who claim that members of them were killed in attacks carried out by Palestinians.

Smotrich said, “The Palestinian Authority encourages terrorism and pays money to the families of terrorists, prisoners, and freed Palestinian prisoners,” stressing that Israel has deducted the same amounts paid by the Palestinian Authority from its funds, and will transfer them to the families of “victims of terrorism.”

On May 23, the World Bank warned that the public financial situation of the Palestinian Authority had deteriorated sharply in the past three months, which greatly increases the risk of a collapse in public finances.