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.
