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Quartet Representative welcomes Israeli release of funds to Palestinians, urges regular and predictable payments in future

Quartet Representative Tony Blair today welcomed the Israeli Cabinet's decision to release the Palestinian clearance revenues whilst urging the government to ensure that future payments are regular and predictable.

Mr. Blair has repeatedly lobbied the Israeli government about the importance of these revenues to the work of the Palestinian Authority and the state-building activates of Prime Minister Salam Fayyad under the leadership of President Mahmoud Abbas.

"This is an important decision,” Tony Blair said. “I have discussed the importance of a smooth transfer of revenues with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other ministers in the Israeli government on many occasions, as have others in the international community, and have urged him repeatedly to transfer these funds without delay.

“As I have said on numerous occasions, this is Palestinian money which is critical to sustaining the PA and should be transferred on a regular and predictable basis in line with previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements. Withholding these funds only benefits those who oppose peace and Israeli-Palestinian cooperation."