Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has decided to cut off funding to the Yasser Arafat Foundation, Nasser al-Kidwa, who heads the organization revealed on Monday.
This came one week after Abbas dismissed Kidwa from Fatah.
In a Zoom meeting on Monday, Kidwa briefed his party about Abbas’s decision and revealed a document signed by Head of the Palestine National Fund (PNF) Ramzi Khoury instructing PA Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara to halt all direct and indirect payments to the Foundation on orders from Abbas as of March 11.
The Yasser Arafat Foundation is an independent non-profit organization, established in 2008 to preserve Arafat’s heritage and legacy. It also addresses the development of charitable, humanitarian, social and academic activities that serve the Palestinian people.
Kidwa, the 67-year-old nephew of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, had earlier announced he would run on his own electoral list, which would consist of independents, business people and youth.
He also announced the establishment of the Palestinian National Democratic Forum that would run in the elections, stressing that he was trying to put Fatah back on the right path.
Sacked prominent Fatah member Mohammed Dahlan had also announced he would field a separate list.
The parliamentary and presidential polls are set for May 22 and July 31, respectively, and will be the first Palestinian elections in 15 years.
