The Secret World of the Palestinian Authority by Bassam Tawil  •  March 29, 2018 at 5:00 am         The failure of the donors -- mainly the US and the EU -- to demand accountability and transparency from the Palestinian Authority has deprived Palestinians of a significant part of the funds. It has also encouraged Palestinian leaders to continue pocketing millions of dollars, enriching their private and hidden bank accounts. The Palestinians, of course, are the primary victims in this story. Pictured: Mahmoud Abbas' $17.5 million "presidential palace" near Ramallah. After facing criticism over the project, Abbas decided to convert the palace into a huge national library. (Image source: Palestinian Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction) A report published this week offers a rare glance into the secret world of the Palestinian Authority (PA), which was established in 1994 in accordance with the Oslo Accords signed between Israel and the PLO. Headed by Mahmoud Abbas, the PA has since received billions of dollars in aid from the US, EU and several other donor countries. However, the failure of the donors to demand accountability and transparency from the Palestinian Authority has deprived Palestinians of a significant part of the funds. It has also encouraged Palestinian leaders to continue pocketing millions of dollars, enriching their private and hidden bank accounts. One would have expected the Western donors to have woken up and noticed that Palestinian leaders are misusing the taxpayer money they send. Continue Reading Article