VZCZCXRO4243
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHJM #2583 3520859
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 180859Z DEC 07 ZDK
FM AMCONSUL JERUSALEM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0047
INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 002583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR 
GOLDBERGER/SHAMPAINE/BELGRADE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/PASCUAL; 
TREASURY FOR SZUBIN/GRANT/HARRIS/NUGENT/HIRSON 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/18/17 
TAGS: ECON EFIN KFTN PGOV PTER KWBG
SUBJECT: PA CONTINUES TO SCRUTINIZE ALMS COMMITTEES AND NGOS 
 
REF: A. JERUSALEM 2169 
     ¶B. JERUSALEM 1820 
 
Classified By: Acting Principal Officer Thomas Duffy, Reasons 1.4 (b) a 
nd (d). 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The Palestinian Authority (PA) continues 
to demand the restructuring of Zakat (alms) committees and 
strict adherence to regulations governing NGOs.  The Ministry 
of Awqaf has dismantled some 92 Zakat committees in the past 
three months and reformulated district committees.  The 
Ministry of Interior (MoI) has dissolved over 130 of the 350 
NGOs reviewed, thus far, for lack of legal and financial 
compliance with the PA law, according to MoI officials.  The 
MoI would welcome technical support. Hamas has complained 
that PA actions are intended to weaken the organization.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) PA Minister of Information Riad al-Malki announced 
December 3 that, since the launch of an October 2007 
initiative directed at suspect Zakat committees (ref a), the 
Ministry of Awqaf has dismantled 92 Zakat committees 
throughout the West Bank.  Malki stated publicly that Hamas 
had "transformed Zakat committees into financial empires to 
serve their political ends and means."  Prime Minister Fayyad 
chaired a meeting December 4 of the Central Zakat Committee, 
composed of newly appointed members of 11 reformulated Zakat 
district committees from the West Bank.  According to local 
press reports, Minister of Awqaf Jamal Bawatneh reiterated to 
the participants that the restructuring requirements are 
intended to ensure that these committees work to benefit 
needy people and not serve factional interests.  Hamas 
spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that PA measures are "an 
attempt to weaken Hamas," and "Palestinians will pay the 
price" from the loss of services provided by the dissolved 
committees. 
 
¶3.  (C) MoI Director General of the Public Admissions Office 
for NGOs Fadwa al-Sha'ar told ConGenoffs December 4 that she 
and her staff have completed the review of 350 of the 3,000 
NGO files held by the ministry (ref b).  Each file undergoes 
separate legal and financial reviews.  Only 3 or 4 of those 
files examined were determined to be in full compliance with 
MoI regulations governing NGOs, according to Sha'ar.  Over 
130 have been closed, some of which existed only on paper. 
Sha'ar said most of the remaining NGOs reviewed, thus far, 
have been sent warning letters giving them three months to 
fix any problems.  They have two months to appeal a closure 
order.  Sha'ar noted that enforcement in Gaza is 
"complicated" because the MoI no longer operates there. 
Files of many of the well-established Gaza NGOs, however, 
have been forwarded to her office, but even some these have 
significant problems.  While not characterizing MoI efforts 
as specifically targeting Hamas, Sha'ar was particularly 
critical of religious NGOs, which she suggested manipulated 
sympathy for children and orphans and also "train people to 
be beggars." 
 
¶4.  (C) Sha'ar described the challenges posed by the MoI's 
review of all existing NGO permits for legal and financial 
compliance.  She said efforts to modernize her office's 
operations to improve efficiency and enhance monitoring have 
been thwarted by lack of equipment, customized software, and 
trained staff.  Sha'ar said technical assistance from the 
donor community would be welcome. 
DUFFY