EU EXPANDS PA WELFARE TO $816 MILLION

THANK GOODNESS HAMAS DOESN'T HAVE TO SPEND MONEY ON SOCIAL PROGRAMS FOR PALESTINIANS. THIS WAY HAMAS CAN SPEND ALL ITS MONEY ON WEAPONS TO KILL JEWS.

EU aid to PA expands to $816 million (JPost)
The European Union said Wednesday it was giving $816 million in aid to benefit 160,000 Palestinian families this year, expanding the funding program that bypasses the Hamas-led government.

European experts agreed to boost the international aid program overseen by the World Bank to cover 60,000 more families in the Palestinian territories from the 100,000 families now receiving help under the program, EU spokeswoman Emma Udwin said.

The fund offers a $339 monthly allowance to poorer Palestinian families, pensioners and civic workers, whose paychecks disappeared when international donors halted direct aid payments after the militant Hamas group won Palestinian elections.

"We are talking about quite a large amount of money," Udwin said. "Despite direct aid to the Palestinian Authority having been suspended .... the EU's contribution remains high, higher than in an average year." The experts also backed a decision by top international donors to extend the funding program until the end of the year, she said.

The European Commission has given $414 million this year to the program, above its average yearly aid of $314 million for the Palestinians. The rest of the program funds were coming from some of the 25 EU member countries, the United States and others.