A delegation of Arab ministers and high-ranking officials led by Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby are slated to visit Ramallah on Saturday to offer moral support and discuss financial aid for the Palestinian Authority, an Arab League source said on Wednesday. Egyptian Foreign Minister Mohamed Kamel Amr and Jordanian Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh are among those heading to the central West Bank city. They will meet briefly with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the source said. The delegation, according to the source, will congratulate the Palestinian Authority on its successful U.N. status upgrade. "The Arab delegation's visit to Ramallah is the first of its kind and will look into various issues, most importantly financial support for the Palestinian Authority in light of Israel's decision to withhold Palestinian funds," the source said. Magdy el-Khaldy, a diplomatic adviser to the Palestinian president, confirmed that the Arab delegation's visit is expected on Saturday, saying its purpose is to express "solidarity with the Palestinian people ... and to get an on-the-ground picture of [their] suffering." Israel said earlier this month it would withhold tax revenues from Abbas' administration until at least March as a response to his unilateral move at the U.N. King Abdullah of Jordan visited Palestinian leaders in the West Bank on Dec. 6.
Arab league chief, ministers to visit Ramallah to discuss aid
"The Arab delegation's visit to Ramallah is the first of its kind and will look into various issues, most importantly financial support for the Palestinian Authority in light of Israel's decision to withhold Palestinian funds," says Arab League source.
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