Arab foreign ministers meeting in Cairo have renewed their commitment to give USD 100 million in monthly aid to the government of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The ministers also urged Arab governments falling behind on payments to the Palestinians to swiftly come up with the money.
The pledge comes at a time when US-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians are floundering. Abbas called for the Cairo meeting to secure financial and political cover as his relations with Israel continue to deteriorate.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today ordered his ministers to cut off contact with their Palestinian counterparts in retaliation for a Palestinian bid to join United Nations agencies. An Israeli official called the Palestinian move a violation of the Palestinians' commitment in the peace talks.