PEACE & SECURITY | Creating a more stable world
12 February 2008
Palestinian Leader Fayyad Praises United States for Major Funding
Palestinians seek an open, democratic state at peace
Washington -- Creation of a Palestinian state requires parallel progress on multiple tracks –- governance, security and economics. Success depends on a serious and sustained commitment by the Palestinians and Israelis, the United States, the Quartet, the Arab countries and the broader international community, says Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
"The state we seek is one that must be open and democratic, based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, cultural sensitivity and religious tolerance," Fayyad says.
"In short, we will build a state that all Palestinians can be proud of, and my government will lead by example."
The U.S. Congress recently appropriated $218 million of $555 million pledged by the United States in December 2007 for Palestinian economic and other reforms. Fayyad, speaking before Arab Americans, journalists and diplomats at the National Press Club in Washington February 11, said the funds will be deposited into a single treasury account.
"This is a major vote of confidence. One that, indeed, we are proud of, and one that is likely to encourage other donors to follow suit," he said.
Fayyad said the United States has been instrumental in working for the creation of a Palestinian state, especially with the November 2007 Annapolis Conference that succeeded in restarting direct talks between the Palestinians and Israelis with a strong U.S. presence.
In addition to establishing a thorough national economic structure, Fayyad said the Palestinians also are taking charge of their own security because it is in their national interest to do so. He said the Palestinian Authority chose to tackle security in one of its most challenging cities, Nablus. "We felt it was important to deploy in the difficult areas first, as a show of our determination," he said.
"We have since expanded the scope of deployment to cover other cities, and wherever we have deployed police, people have felt a qualitative improvement in their security situation," he said.
However, Fayyad acknowledged that it will be far easier to deliver security when the Palestinian Authority also can deliver significant socio-economic improvements to the lives of ordinary citizens. "This is an important priority, as currently about 50 percent of the households in the West Bank and 80 percent in Gaza live in poverty," he said.
Fayyad said 34 percent of Palestinians also face food insecurity. But, he added, through the generosity of the international community, which pledged $7 billion to the Palestinian Authority over the next three years at the 2007 Paris Donors' Conference, the situation will improve.
The Palestinian Authority also announced at the donors' conference that it was implementing the Palestinian Reform and Development Plan to support its multiyear budget. The purpose of the plan is to attain fiscal sustainability and a progressively greater degree of self-reliance, Fayyad said.
