RAMALLAH, January 2, 2013 (WAFA) - The Palestinian cabinet Wednesday confirmed that the government is exerting maximum effort to confront the financial crisis which reached its peak due to the Israeli piracy of Palestinian funds, according to a statement issued following the weekly cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet also renewed its call on the Arab brethren to assume their responsibilities towards confronting the consequences of the Israeli aggression against our people's livelihoods.

It called on Arab states to activate the Arab safety net and disperse the funds it had pledged, affirming that the National Authority needs 240 million dollars a month to be able to fulfill its obligations, as long as Israel continues to withhold our funds.

In the same context, the Cabinet called on the international community to assume its responsibility without any hesitation or equivocation, to compel Israel to the rules of international law and relevant international resolutions , and to stop the robbery of our people's resources and income, as well as to stop undermining the National Authority’s standing to undermine our people's ability to stay steadfast and materializing the independent Palestinian state, with Jerusalem as its capital on the borders of 1967.

Furthermore, the Cabinet expressed its wish that the New Year would be the year of freedom, independence and redemption of the occupation, and reaffirmed the National Authority's determination to continue and accelerate the pace towards the realization of national sovereignty on the land of the independent state of Palestine.

The Cabinet also considered that the continuing division remained the biggest and most dangerous failure that continues to confront our nation and called on all officials and civic sectors to rise to the level of national responsibility borne by all without exception to restore unity to the homeland and its institutions in order to enable them to carry out their responsibilities in serving our people and caring for its interests and reinforcing and strengthening our national capabilities.

It also condemned the continuing acts of aggression by the occupation forces against citizens in the West Bank, especially in Jerusalem, including most recently the Israeli government's approval of constructing 1200 new housing units in the settlement of 'Gilo'.

This, in addition to issuing orders to confiscate hundreds of dunoms in Beit Iksa village northwest of Jerusalem in addition to handing out demolition orders for 10 homes in Hebron as well as the demolition of homes and ongoing acts of displacements against our people, especially in the Jordan Valley.

It also condemned the uprooting of hundreds of fruit-bearing trees by occupation forces and settlers, as was the case in Hebron, Nablus, and other districts as well as escalating settler attacks against citizens south of Nablus and in Jerusalem.

The Cabinet equally condemned Israeli forces for attacking citizens in Tamoun village, warning noting that all these practices come in the context of targeting Palestinian presence in these areas, which requires the consolidation of all efforts in the battle of national steadfastness to thwart the occupation's agenda.

T.R./F.R.