Arab League pledges $100mn to Palestinians, rejects US ‘deal’

The Arab League has pledged to pay $100 million a month to the Palestinian Authority after Israel blocked tax transfers earlier in the year. “We confirm that Arab countries will support the Palestinian state’s budget” to resist the political and financial pressure it faces, the League said on Sunday following a meeting in Cairo. Israel collects taxes on behalf of the PA, but withheld $138 million in transfers in February over Palestinian payments to political prisoners jailed for attacks against Israelis. The Arab countries’ move comes as the Trump administration prepares to unveil the “deal of the century” for peace between the Palestinians and Israel in the coming months. The Arab League said the deal “will not succeed in achieving long-lasting and comprehensive peace in the Middle East,” AFP reported.