Abbas making rounds to drum up financial support

The Palestinian Authority (PA), facing a stifling financial crisis, is going door-to-door in the Arab world seeking aid. Since the United States halted its support and Israel slashed tax revenues, the PA is resolutely soliciting help to compensate for its bulging budget deficit. Officials have been busy. Just this month:

• Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas led on March 3 a high-powered delegation to Iraq — his first visit in seven years.
• Abbas then moved on to Jordan March 5 and met with head of the Islamic Development Bank Bandar Bin Hamza Hajjar in Amman, filling him in on the tough economic situation in the Palestinian territories.
• The next day, Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara met with Jordanian Central Bank Gov. Ziad Fariz in Amman, along with governor of the Palestinian Monetary Authority Azzam al-Shawa, seeking to raise the loan ceiling offered by Jordanian banks operating in the West Bank.
• Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki met with Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit in Cairo March 13 to discuss activating a financial "social safety net" of $100 million per month. The Arab League has approved such emergency funds for the PA in the past.