イスラエル／パレスチナ和平

More than 50 percent of Hamas's current funding comes from Saudi Arabia and is increasing despite US President George W. Bush's call to the kingdom to halt aid to Palestinian terrorist groups, Dore Gold, a former Israeli ambassador to the UN and a researcher of terrorist financing, said Tuesday in Washington.

Last month, Adel al-Jubeir, foreign policy adviser to Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah, denied accusations that the Saudi government systematically supports Palestinian terrorist groups.

"I hear reports constantly or charges about Saudi funding Hamas. We've said no, that's not the case. Could it be that some Saudi individuals are funding Hamas? Very likely. Hamas raises a lot of money in the United States. But in terms of as a government or a policy, we have taken a position that we condemn terrorism in all its forms, and regardless of where it occurs, and we do not fund terrorists."

During his presentation, Gold outlined contents of documents discovered by Israeli troops in Palestinian offices during a sweep of the West Bank last year, which he said proved that Saudi Arabia sends money to Hamas. Among them, was a hand-written letter by now Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas, from December 2000, complaining to the Saudis about their support for Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, he said.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1058240688098

○ハマスの資金の５０％がサウジから、という報告がイスラエルの元国連大使によってワシントンで行われた。サウジの外交アドバイザーは「システマティック」な資金提供については否定、個人によるものと主張。

○テロ資金根絶への道程はなかなか遠いようだ。一方で、昨年のイスラエル軍によるパレスチナのオフィス掃討の際、ガザの過激派支援についてサウジを批判しているアッバスの手書きの手紙も、他の「証拠」と同時に見つかっていることも同時に報告されている。

○ロードマップ提示、受諾、アカバ・サミットという今年のイベントの以前からアッバスにそのような姿勢があったとは意外だ。

○サウジの否定に対して「証拠」がワシントンで報告されたのだから、テロ資金問題は少しずつ時間をかけて囲い込まれていくものと期待しておきたい。