Boycott of Palestinian Authority? Yay or Nay?

The Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), which has limited jurisdiction of the areas referred to as the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, was originally created in 1954 as a government organization with the goal of the destruction of Israel. In 1988, the PLO changed their charter so that one of their goals would be that of a two state solution. That decision was made between Yasser Arafat, the chairman of the PLO, and Yitzhak Rabin, the former Prime Minister of Israel. Yasser Arafat passed away, in 2004, in a French hospital and was succeeded by Muhammad Abbas who was a member of the majority Fatah political party.

On January 25 of this year, the PLO held elections where Hamas, which is known for being a terrorist/freedom fighter organization and has taken the claim for several suicide attacks, unexpectedly won 72 of the 132 seats in the legislature taking the majority from the Fatah party for the first time ever.

The election results stunned the world and resulted in the pulling of funds, to the PLO, from the United States, the European Union, and Israel. Israel pulled the fifty million dollars that it collects and gives back to the Palestinians from tax and customs revenues from the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

The Palestinian Authority employs about 140,000 people with an operating budget of about 1.9 billion dollars a year. However, before the funds were pulled, the Authority was already operating with 750 million dollars in debt every year. Since the boycott began two months ago, no one who is employed by the Authority has been paid which has crippled the economy.

What is been hurt the most are the hospitals, once considered to be some of the best in the world. Supplies are running low and human resources are running short in this government funded industry.

The United States, the European Union, and Israel originally said that they will reinstate payments until Hamas renounces terrorism and recognizes Israel.

On the 9^th of May, Dor, an Israeli gasoline and fuel company, cut off it supplies to the Palestinian Authority who had run up a twenty-six million dollar debt with the company.

Also on the 9^th, the United States and the European Union made an agreement, at the United Nations, to make a mechanism to help pay for the medical and other aid as well as help pay for the salaries of many of the government employees. The goal is to keep the Palestinian economy running with out giving money to Hamas and the PLO.

Recently, Israel also decided to re-begin payments to the Palestinian people.

On the 12^th of May some Hamas leaders, who are currently imprisoned by Israel, released a plan to recognize Israel with in the 1967 borders as well as to discontinue acts of terrorism except in the Jewish settlements which are located in the West Bank. However, other Hamas leaders, who are not imprisoned, have refuted this claim.

Is it a good idea for the United States, the European Union, and/or Israel to help support the employees of the Palestinian Authority even with Hamas still in power?