Islamic press tackles Palestinian aid 'crisis'

The Palestinian administration is said to be $1.7bn in debt

Following Iran's pledge to give the Palestinian Authority $50m in aid, two leading Iranian papers call for all Muslims to support the Palestinian cause.

Papers from other Islamic countries, however, raise questions about the lack of aid from Arab countries, and Russia's influence in the region after its own promise of emergency aid.

One Turkish commentator believes Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will have his work cut out when he tries to drum up support in a visit to Turkey next week.

Iran's Jomhuri-Ye-Eslami

In the current situation, supporting the Palestinian government is the most important issue. The government of Palestine needs $170m per month to run the country and fulfil its basic needs. However, the Zionist regime and its allies want to make the government fail by putting it under economic pressure... Islamic countries and all Muslims should feel a heavy burden on their shoulders now to help the new government in Palestine.

Iran's Iran

The Islamic world has reached a very sensitive and influential stage. The world of paganism has strongly attacked Islam and its holy values... Muslims all over the world have to support the Palestinians.

Iz al-Din al-Darwish in Syria's Tishrin

It is truly amazing that the US, as the world's only superpower, is using all its power and influence to fight a small and unarmed people... The US administration is using all its influence to pressure Europe and the [UN] Security Council and to threaten Arab and Muslim countries to prevent any aid being offered to the Palestinian people.

Kamarulnizam Abdullah in Malaysia's Utusan Malaysia

The willingness of Russia to give economic aid to the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Authority could be a serious political blow for the US and the EU... The West's economic embargo has given Moscow room to play a more influential role in West Asia.

Tariq Fatemi in Pakistan's Dawn

The Arab League secretary-general [Amr Moussa] has appealed to Arab governments and institutions to come to the aid of the Palestinians... The Arab response is, however, expected to be neither prompt nor meaningful. Most of these countries with unrepresentative regimes are unlikely to do anything to upset the Americans.

Indonesia's Kompas

The financial crisis of the Palestinian Authority under the leadership of Hamas has been described as extremely serious. Promises of financial aid from Arab countries still remain just promises.

Semih Idiz in Turkey's Milliyet

Turkey is welcoming Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas this week. One of the reasons for Abu Mazen's [Abbas'] trip is of course to ask for money... However it appears that he won't get very much from Ankara, because on this issue the Turkish government is caught between a rock and a hard place. If it makes an obvious aid donation, its policy will contradict the EU and the USA.

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