PA Officials Refuse to Meet Israelis at Davos

The Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Finance said on Tuesday evening that its officials will not meet with Israeli officials during the World Economic Forum at Davos, Switzerland, saying there “is no reason” to do so because “Israel did not respond to Palestinian requests to resolve a number of outstanding financial issues between them.”

The PA Finance Ministry stated that it had contacted the Israeli Finance Ministry over the past weeks to discuss financial issues, including the commission Israel deducts from Palestinian tax revenues, “which is a Palestinian right, in order to hold a meeting at international forums Israel has been seeking to arrange.”

It said Israel did not respond to Palestinian requests to resolve these issues, and therefore a meeting at Davos with Israel “is not justified.”

“In order not to mislead the Palestinian public opinion as a result of reports in the Israeli media regarding the participation of the Ministry of Finance and Planning in the Davos World Economic Forum, the ministry decided that there is no benefit or reason at the time being to accept the Israeli request” for a meeting at Davos, the ministry stated.

The PA officials were also reportedly boycotting U.S. officials at Davos and refused to participate in any discussions on international development plans for the PA-controlled areas in which U.S. officials were present.