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Arab Finance Ministers to Hold Emergency Meeting in Support of PA

Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian boy during clashes in West Bank. Reuters file photo
Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian boy during clashes in West Bank. Reuters file photo
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Arab Finance Ministers to Hold Emergency Meeting in Support of PA

Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian boy during clashes in West Bank. Reuters file photo
Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian boy during clashes in West Bank. Reuters file photo

The Arab League General Secretariat decided to hold an emergency meeting of Arab finance ministers at its headquarters in Cairo early next week to discuss the means to provide a financial safety net for the Palestinian Authority in face of Israeli pressure.
 
Ambassador Hossam Zaki, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, said on Tuesday that it was decided to hold an emergency meeting at the invitation of Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit and in coordination and consultation with the Palestinians.
 
Zaki added that the meeting next week comes in implementation of the resolution issued by the emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers, which was held in Cairo on April 21 in the presence of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. The resolution provided for the establishment of a financial safety net of $100 million per month in support of the State of Palestine to cope with political and financial pressures imposed by Israel.
 
On whether there were specific proposals from the Arab League to provide support to the Palestinians, Zaki said: “There are no specific suggestions, but the Palestinian side has welcomed grants and loans from Arab countries or financial institutions so that the Palestinian Authority can recover the funds and repay the loans.”
 
Zaki denied a link between the meeting of Arab finance ministers and the US economic workshop in Bahrain, stressing that the meeting comes in implementation of a previous decision of the Arab League.
 
Meanwhile, Aboul Gheit met on Tuesday with Azzam Al-Ahmad, member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Central Committee of the Fatah Movement.

Discussions touched on latest political developments in the region, especially with regard to the Palestinian cause.

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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
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Iraq Frustrated by Iran’s Reluctance to Rein in Militias

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has cautioned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the threats facing Iraq due to the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran (X)

A senior government official said Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has warned leaders of the Coordination Framework about the “risks to Iraq” from the growing conflict between Israel and Iran.

The official added that Iran is using “deception” when asked to distance its allied militias from the war.

Political and government figures are increasingly worried that Iraq could be hit, after two Israeli soldiers were killed in a drone strike on the Golan Heights early Friday.

Speaking anonymously to Asharq Al-Awsat, the official said al-Sudani is taking steps to keep Iraq out of the conflict.

These efforts include ramping up “political mediation” to persuade militias not to involve Iraq. The prime minister “informed Coordination Framework leaders of the risks” and urged them to “act quickly.”

The official also warned that an attack is still possible, saying intelligence shows the Iraqi militias launched the strike from outside Iraq, using weapons that came from Iraqi territory.

Al-Sudani’s Mediation Efforts

The Iraqi premier has chosen mediators, approved by Iran, to negotiate with militias about the conflict and conditions for de-escalation. These three individuals have previously acted as mediators in past crises.

Last week, Asharq Al-Awsat reported that al-Sudani asked three key Shiite figures to intervene and prevent militias from getting involved in the war between Hezbollah and Israel, after reports surfaced that Israel had identified 35 Iraqi targets.

Sources confirmed that Ammar al-Hakim is among the mediators, along with two other influential Shiite leaders whose names haven’t been disclosed.

However, two Iraqi militias—likely the al-Nujaba Movement led by Akram al-Kaabi and Kataib Hezbollah led by Abu Hussein al-Hamidawi—have refused to cooperate and continue launching rocket attacks on Israel.

The Iraqi official admitted that some militias are “stubborn,” but stressed that al-Sudani knows Iraq is “at the center of the storm.”

He reportedly told leaders of the Coordination Framework, “Iraq cannot avoid a military strike if it happens, so we must stay out of the war to protect the country.”

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in a Friday sermon, stated that “Iran’s allies in the region won’t back down,” increasing concerns that Iraqi militias tied to Iran will continue attacking Israel.

Iraqi sources also reported that the Coordination Framework has reviewed an “intelligence report” on dozens of Iraqi targets that Israel might strike or assassinate.

Government Efforts to Prevent Escalation

Al-Sudani has blocked the flow of Iraqi funds into conflict zones, unlike previous leaders, according to the official.

He has worked closely with the US and its Treasury Department to strictly monitor financial movements, often insisting that Iran uses official channels to claim its dues from Iraq.

The official also said global auditing firms are now helping Iraq’s central bank oversee financial transactions, shutting down all previous routes for illicit money flows.

Since the Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, the US told Iraq it pressured Israel not to strike Iraq, as long as Iraq stays out of the conflict, the official added.

The US doesn’t oppose Iraq’s stance of condemning Israel, supporting Lebanon and Palestine, and sending aid.

But it “won’t accept any financial or military support to militias.”

Regarding Iran’s role, the official said Tehran claims militias act independently, dodging responsibility for reining them in.