BICOM

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has called on Israel to hand over tax revenue collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority. Ban also expressed concern over continued settlement activity, according to UN Spokesman Martin Nesirky. The UN Secretary General “stressed the need to de-escalate” Israeli-Palestinian tensions that have heightened since the Palestinian bid to become a member of the United Nations, said Nesirky, giving an account of telephone talks between Ban and Netanyahu yesterday.

Transfer of the tax funds, consisting of VAT and customs revenues estimated by the UN to reach about NIS 100 million per month, were frozen following UNESCO’s admission of the Palestinian Authority as a member last month. The Israeli move was intended as a counter-measure to the unilateral strategy at the UN adopted by PA President Mahmoud Abbas.