PA to shut down 103 charities in apparent attempt to weaken Hamas - Haaretz

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Last update - 16:22 28/08/2007

PA to shut down 103 charities in apparent attempt to weaken Hamas

By Reuters

The Palestinian Authority will close 103 charities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a minister in PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' government said on Tuesday, in an apparent attempt to weaken Hamas Islamists.

"The government decided to close down 103 charities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip because they have violated the law," said Mahmoud al-Habbash, Minister of Social Affairs in a government appointed by Abbas after Hamas seized the Gaza Strip.

Habbash said the move did not target any single group. He told Reuters that some of the charities were being used as "cover-ups for activities that contravene the law".

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Abbas dismissed a Hamas-led government in June and appointed a Western-backed cabinet in the West Bank headed by Salam Fayad.

Fayad has been trying to reduce the influence of Hamas and its welfare agencies by building a government-run social services system using Western and Arab funds.

The bank accounts of al-Salah Association, one of the largest Islamic charities in the Gaza Strip, were frozen earlier this month by Palestinian banks after the U.S. government designated it a "key support node for Hamas".

Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri said the decision to close the charities is part of an attempt by the leadership of the Palestinian Authority to "uproot the Hamas movement" and that it would only cause hardship among Palestinians.

About 2,400 charities operate in the Palestinian territories, Habbash said.

Habbash did not say how many Hamas charities would be affected by the decision or how the ruling would be carried out in the Gaza Strip, which is controlled by Hamas.

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1.	the palestinian people are just cannon fodder for hamas	14:57	\|	matt	28/08/07

2.	Abbas declares economic war on Palestinians?	15:11	\|	Mark Lincoln	28/08/07

3.	abbas should be tried for treason against his own people!	15:13	\|	lakshmi	28/08/07

4.	Abbas is our poodle	15:33	\|	Shlomo	28/08/07

5.	Good start, what about the PA organizations	15:33	\|	El-Birawi	28/08/07

6.	Charities that are probably supported by	15:35	\|	Lynn	28/08/07

7.	2400 charities in Hamastan	15:38	\|	Nora	28/08/07

8.	# 2 Mark Lincoln	16:22	\|	Lynn	28/08/07

9.	An eye for an eye mentality	16:28	\|	Aram	28/08/07

10.	Open 500 yourself and you`ll beat Hamas	16:28	\|	Butch	28/08/07

11.	How dare you	16:38	\|	Palestinian	28/08/07

12.	But HAMAS IS A CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION	16:50	\|	Bradq	28/08/07

13.	WRONG DECISION	16:52	\|	indrajaya	28/08/07

14.	Mark Lincoln, it seems Abbas is not delivering	17:02	\|	El-Birawi	28/08/07

15.	#9 - Yes We Understand	17:12	\|	Robert	28/08/07

16.	indrajaya ah ah ah	17:15	\|	marco cesar	28/08/07

17.	Hamas didn`t even dispute this! hahaaa!	17:55	\|	Richard S	28/08/07

18.	`Charities" Go for Weapons Not Relief	18:20	\|	Jane	28/08/07

19.	El Birawi & Palestinian,you are being too polite about this guy,	18:46	\|	lakshmi	28/08/07

20.	hamas must be exterminated, but	19:12	\|	mehmet	28/08/07

21.	corruption and thirst for money brings hamas	19:18	\|	mehmet	28/08/07

22.	El-Birawi - What Abbas is receiving	19:22	\|	Mark Lincoln	28/08/07

23.	Abbas is a traitor to the Palestinian people	19:23	\|	Clickfool	28/08/07

24.	Orders from Israel	19:44	\|	MA	28/08/07

25.	Palestinian # 11	19:50	\|	Lynn	28/08/07

26.	#18 - Lakshmi	19:55	\|	Maurice	28/08/07

27.	Lakshmi, I am for peace with Israel but the PLO must go	20:02	\|	El-Birawi	28/08/07

28.	The future for the Uncle Tom	21:01	\|	Clickfool	28/08/07

29.	The quisling Abbas joins the effort to starve Palestinians	21:09	\|	peacelover	28/08/07

30.	# 21 mehmet	21:11	\|	Lynn	28/08/07

31.	The Quisling Abbas Gets his Orders And Follows Them	21:16	\|	chet	28/08/07

32.	Clickfool calling for an assassination?	21:38	\|	Jasmine Murphy	28/08/07

33.	23Clickfool,right on,abbas should be tried for treason against	21:45	\|	lakshmi	28/08/07

34.	Jane, what Abbas is shutting down ARE charities	21:50	\|	Mark Lincoln	28/08/07

35.	21mehmet,agree with your overall reasoning,but not your	21:51	\|	lakshmi	28/08/07

36.	26 Maurice,your question about my origin is puzzling,no one	22:04	\|	lakshmi	28/08/07

37.	For Jasmine Murphy # 31	22:15	\|	Clickfool	28/08/07

38.	#9	22:50	\|	B	28/08/07

39.	# 27 El Birawi	00:56	\|	Lynn	29/08/07

40.	El Birawi,thanks for the blogsite,I plan to look it up,and will	02:26	\|	lakshmi	29/08/07

41.	El Birawi,looked up the blogsite,interesting material,came as far	03:36	\|	lakshmi	29/08/07

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