عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Arab World

Fatah: Suspended Funding to Yasser Arafat Foundation ‘Temporary’

Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo
Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo
TT
20
TT

Fatah: Suspended Funding to Yasser Arafat Foundation ‘Temporary’

Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo
Nasser al-Kidwa. Reuters file photo

A decision taken by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to cut off funding to the Yasser Arafat Foundation is “temporary” and “will not affect the institution’s staff,” said Munir al-Jaghoub, who heads Fatah’s Information Department in the Office of Mobilization and Organization.

The move aims to prevent the institution from being exploited for personal ends, Jaghoub explained.

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s institutions belong to the Palestinian people and are not allowed to be used for election campaigning purposes, he stressed.

His comments came after head of the Yasser Arafat Foundation Nasser al-Kidwa was dismissed last week from Fatah’s membership.

Work is underway to sack Kidwa from the Foundation, so funding would be restored immediately after that, informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

In a Zoom meeting on Monday, Kidwa briefed his party about the president’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 his candidacy for the elections on his own electoral list, which would consist of independents and business people.

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.

The parliamentary and presidential polls are set for May 22 and July 31, respectively, and will be the first Palestinian elections in 15 years.

Most Viewed

 
Arab World

Lebanon Ready for Syria Pact to Repatriate Non-Terror Convicts

Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)
TT
20
TT

Lebanon Ready for Syria Pact to Repatriate Non-Terror Convicts

Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)
Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar (NNA)

Lebanon’s Justice Minister Adel Nassar said Beirut had received no warnings from Damascus about potential retaliatory measures to push for the release of Syrian detainees held in Lebanese prisons, dismissing any talk of escalation as unnecessary.

“There’s no need for escalation. We’re fully open to resolving this issue through direct dialogue and a formal treaty with the Syrian authorities, one that allows the transfer of Syrian convicts, except those sentenced for killing Lebanese soldiers or for terrorism charges,” Nassar told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Nassar revealed that his ministry had already prepared a draft agreement aimed at moving the stalled file forward, stressing that resolving the issue is in Lebanon’s interest as much as Syria’s.

“This would ease the severe overcrowding in our prisons,” he said. “We’re determined to take every step in full compliance with Lebanese law and judicial procedures.”

According to Nassar, some 1,700 Syrians are currently detained in Lebanon, including 389 with final verdicts. The rest are still on trial.

“Their treatment is identical to that of Lebanese inmates,” he added. “We’re holding court sessions directly at Roumieh prison to address logistical constraints, and there’s also an intention to do the same for the military court.”

Addressing the recent Cabinet appointment of Maher Shaito as financial public prosecutor, a move widely seen as a win for the minister after rejecting a nominee backed by the Hezbollah-Amal alliance, Nassar insisted the process was purely institutional.

“This was a victory for state institutions. I can’t nominate someone I don’t believe is qualified,” he said. “After consulting senior judges and the head of the Higher Judicial Council, it was clear there was consensus around Shaito due to his credentials and track record.”

He stressed that the appointment involved “no deals or political bartering,” adding that while he found Judge Ziad Hamadeh unsuitable for that specific post, “I never said he was unfit for another position.”

Nassar described his meeting Saturday with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri as “positive,” saying Berri expressed support for the minister’s efforts under the principle of judicial independence.

On long-awaited judicial appointments, Nassar said the Judicial Council was working “around the clock” and had promised to complete the file by the end of the month. “Some 600 names are currently under consideration,” he noted.

As Lebanon approaches the fifth anniversary of the 2020 Beirut port explosion, Nassar said he would not interfere with the timeline of investigative judge Tarek Bitar, who is handling the politically sensitive case.

“Judge Bitar is continuing his probe, and I’m offering full cooperation within the limits of my authority, especially when it comes to securing information from abroad,” he said. “We won’t allow any obstruction of his work.”

Nassar said the timing of the indictment “depends on whether he receives the answers to all his questions,” adding: “There’s no legal deadline obliging him to issue a ruling by a specific date.”

Responding to reports that he and other ministers had objected to certain appointments during the last Cabinet session, Nassar confirmed his opposition to the newly named Banking Control Commission, saying ministers had not been briefed beforehand.

He also voiced strong objection to linking the disarmament of Hezbollah to any other file.

“I told Cabinet and President Joseph Aoun that the issue of arms must not be conditional. I believe in the exclusive right of the state to bear arms - there can be no functioning state otherwise,” he said.

Nassar added that Aoun had promised to refer any final document related to the ongoing US-mediated talks on the weapons issue back to the Cabinet for discussion.