Israel Agrees To Lend the Palestinian Authority 500 Million Shekels Not 800 Million
The Claim
Israel lends the Palestinian Authority 800 million shekels, while some claim it lent them $800 million.
News posted on
Emerging story
Social media accounts particularly in Arabic are circulating a claim that Israel has loaned the Palestinian Authority 800 million shekels. While other users reported the amount to be $800 million, citing that the news came from the Israeli news publisher, Hebrew Channel 12.
Misbar’s Analysis
MENA: The Misbar team investigated the report published on the Hebrew Channel 12, the cited news publisher. It was revealed that the channel stated that the agreed loan amounted to 500 million shekels and not 800 million shekels nor dollars.
Furthermore, other Israeli media sites such as the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation also indicated that the amount is half a billion shekels, thus confirming Channel 12 accurate reports. Israel says the money is being loaned to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and thereby weaken Hamas. Repayments will begin in June 2022 from the settlement funds with the approval of Finance Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
It is worth noting that, last July, the Palestinian Authority rejected the decision to renew the discount on Palestinian tax funds. Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh said that the occupation’s deduction of 597 million shekels from the funds is an “illegal measure that contradicts the signed agreements and constitutes a violation of international laws,” calling on the countries of the world to “intervene to stop these unfair deductions,” Shtayyeh stressed that this matter places the Palestinian Authority in a difficult financial position.
Given the findings, the Misbar team confirms that the claim is misleading, and only 500 million shekels were loaned.
