EU's fund for Palestinian Authority to be restored soon, says official

By Agnes Szucs

BRUSSELS (AA) – The European Commission is nearing completion of the procedure for restoring funding withheld for the Palestinian Authority due to a controversy in school textbooks, an EU official said on Monday.

“We aim to finalize the procedure shortly,” Ana Pisonero, the EU executive body’s spokesperson on neighborhood and enlargement, told journalists at the daily news briefing.

“Once it is finalized, funds will be released as soon as possible for East Jerusalem hospitals and allowances for vulnerable Palestinian families as priorities,” she added.

The announcement came as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began a series of visits to the Middle East on Monday, with Israel and Palestine as the first stops.

Von der Leyen is expected to announce this week the release of financial aid that has been withheld since 2021 owing to alleged controversies in school textbooks that, according to critics, contain anti-Semitic materials and incitement to violence.

EU member states, led by Ireland, have repeatedly urged the EU executive body to release the support.