April 4, 2014 | Quote
Palestinian Authority Raises Eyebrows After Applying to Join Treaty Against…Corruption
The Palestinian Authority has been widely accused of financial corruption, including the paying of vast sums of money to convicted terrorists. So its decision this week to sign onto 15 international treaties and conventions – including to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption – has raised some eyebrows.
President Mahmoud Abbas and his cabinet made a dramatic show Tuesday night to join the conventions, a decision they characterized as a direct response to Israel backing off of releasing a final batch of Palestinian prisoners including terrorists originally scheduled for March 29.
The Palestinians view formally joining the international treaties as another step toward recognition of an independent Palestinian state, but the topics of those treaties is drawing criticism, as the Palestinian Authority is reported to be in violation of at least 11 of the 15 it signed.
The Palestinian Authority has been criticized for its rampant corruption and poor governing practices, including the mismanagement of international aid.
“On its face, the PLO decision to join the U.N. Convention Against Corruption might appear to be a welcome development,” Jonathan Schanzer, vice president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former Treasury Department terrorism finance analyst, told TheBlaze. “After all, the Palestinians have been beset by endemic corruption for decades.”
“However, this move is not tied to a desire for greater transparency. I fully expect the corruption to continue under this leadership,” said Schanzer, author of “State of Failure: Yasser Arafat, Mahmoud Abbas, and the Unmaking of the Palestinian State,” a book which detailed Palestinian mismanagement and squandering of huge sums of international aid. “This move is a component of a campaign designed to bypass negotiations with Israel at the U.N. through international recognition. This will be followed up by a campaign to delegitimize Israel on the world stage.”