P.A. Transfers Funds to Restore Power to Bethlehem
JERUSALEM, Israel – Shortly after Israel’s national electric company cut power to Bethlehem by 50 percent, the Palestinian Authority agreed to make a payment on its multi-million dollar deficit and come up with a viable plan to address the balance or face a resumption of power reduction.
According to Israel Electric Company officials, the utility provider can no longer carry the P.A.’s 1.74 billion shekel debt, the equivalent of about $460 million.
The move came days after the IEC imposed a similar temporary power reduction in Jericho, followed by Hebron, which like Bethlehem, are cities under P.A. control. The IEC also provides electricity to the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, whichcontinued despite rocket barrages on southern Israel.
Hisham Omari, director of the Palestinian-owned Jerusalem District Electricity Company, which buys power from the IEC and distributes it to areas under P.A. control, said the reduction affected everyone in Bethlehem, including hotels and the city’s main hospital.
Providing electricity and other services to cities and towns under P.A. control is a complex matter. IEC chairman Yiftah Ron Tal said the huge deficit accrued by the Palestinian Authority left them little choice.
“I don’t know of any company that would agree to do nothing about a NIS 1.74 billion debt owed by another company,” he said. “We weren’t left with any choice. We’re limiting electricity in a proportionate way.”
It’s worth noting the Palestinian Authority receives multiple billions in international support.
