JERUSALEM: Hamas, facing a funding crisis two weeks after taking over the Palestinian Authority, is asking supporters to deposit money into an Egyptian bank linked to one of France s biggest financial institutions. In a rare public appeal on its Web site, Hamas asked donors to wire money into an account at the Misr International Bank, which French bank Societe Generale gained control of last year. Societe Generale in Paris had no comment on the account. A similar account was set up at the Cairo branch of the Amman-based Arab Bank, but was subsequently closed down, an Arab League official said. Diplomats said many banks were steering clear of the new Hamas government for fear of facing U.S. counter-terrorism sanctions and other lawsuits. Washington has barred Americans from having most business dealings with the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, warning violators could face sanctions, according to a U.S. Treasury Department document. The United States, like the European Union, lists Hamas as a terrorist organization. The Arab League helped set up the two accounts, and said the money raised has so far been used to buy food for impoverished Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, which Israel quit last year after 38 years of occupation. It is unclear whether Hamas intended the donations to be used by the new government in future. To help support your Palestinian brothers and thwart Zionist plans aimed at forcing them to relinquish their legitimate national rights, we call on you to donate for the Palestinian people to one of the following accounts, Hamas said on its Web site, www.palestine-info.net. Hamas officials blame a U.S.-led campaign to cut off vital foreign aid to the Hamas government while pushing the Palestinian Authority to the brink of financial collapse. The officials say Washington has also been pressuring the Arab Bank and other financial institutions to stop managing the Palestinian Authority s funds. The U.S. Patriot Act and other terrorism-finance laws give the Bush administration sweeping powers to crack down on banks and other firms that provide any material support to Hamas. The group, whose suicide bombings spearheaded a Palestinian revolt that erupted in Gaza and the occupied West Bank in 2000, is formally sworn to the Jewish state s destruction. Palestinian officials say the Arab Bank has already effectively shut down the Authority s main treasury account, jeopardizing Hamas ability to carry out basic functions. Unable to pay March salaries to 140,000 government workers, Hamas has stepped up appeals to Arab states to make up for the loss of Western funds and has warned that the Palestinian economy could collapse within four months. Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Al-Zahar left on a trip to Arab nations on Friday, hoping to drum up funding and stymie Western efforts to isolate the financially stricken government. Reuters
