JEDDAH, 11 April — Financial and political support for the Palestinians has soared to unprecedented levels in the Kingdom and other Gulf states. Tens of millions of dollars have been donated for urgent relief to match the strong criticism of Israel’s actions and street demonstrations.
Saudi Arabian Television and Radio will hold a major 13-hour long fund-raising campaign today to support the Palestinians suffering under Israeli oppression in a bid to strengthen their resistance.
Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Fahd inaugurated the campaign on Monday by donating SR10 million. Crown Prince Abdullah, deputy premier and commander of the National Guard, and Prince Sultan, second deputy premier and minister of defense and aviation, gave SR5 million and SR3 million respectively to the fund.
The Kingdom, which presented a historic peace initiative at the Arab summit in Beirut late last month, has led the campaign to push the United States to rein in the Jewish state. Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon responded to the peace overture by sending his troops to the Palestinian cities and killing hundreds of civilians in cold blood.
The fund-raising campaign on Saudi television and radio, which was ordered by the king, will start at 4 p.m. today and continue until 3 a.m. the next day. The Saudi Committee for the Support of Al-Quds Intifada has called upon Saudis, expatriates and private companies to take part in the event by extending generous donations.
Important personalities, including Palestinian Ambassador to the Kingdom Mustafa Deeb, will join the marathon campaign, which will be telecast live by MBC television.
In a statement issued yesterday, the committee said it will send food, medicine and clothing to the Palestinians and provide financial assistance to rebuild infrastructure facilities destroyed by the Israeli tanks and bombardment. The committee said people can deposit their donations in its account — No. 90 — at all Saudi banks.
Muhammad Mashhour Al-Kaf, regional manager of the National Commercial Bank for the Central Region, announced that some of the bank’s branches will remain open from 4 p.m. to 12 midnight to receive donations. They include Rabwa, Takhassusi, Dhahra Al-Badiah and King Abdul Aziz Road branches in Riyadh; Khalediah and Makkah Road branches in Jeddah; Onaiza main in Qassim; Aziziyah branch in Makkah; Madinah main; and Dhahran Road branch in Alkhobar.
The bank will send five tellers and a supervisor to the TV headquarters to receive donations in cash. The bank’s customers can donate by toll free telephone number 8002443333.
Abdul Ghani Ashi, secretary-general of the Arab Red Crescent and Red Cross federation, disclosed yesterday that the Kingdom had sent six trucks full of food, medicine and medical supplies and 24 new ambulance vans to the Palestinians.
He added the Saudi committee has given financial assistance worth SR212 million to Palestinian families since the start of the uprising in September 2000.
Saudi Arabia transferred $15.4 million as an advance aid to the Palestinian Authority and Kuwait dispatched $7.5 million on Tuesday.
The sums are part of $330 million Arab states agreed to pay out over six months at the Beirut summit.
Members of the Saudi Shoura Council, who Tuesday strongly condemned Israeli atrocities, are to donate half of their April salary to the Palestinian people.
Dubai, with a population of barely one million, organized a telethon yesterday and raised more than $36 million in aid for the Palestinians, including huge sums donated by sheikhs, kilos of gold and even one child’s pocket money.
Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum urged the United Nations to approve the use of force to halt Israel’s butchery of Palestinians as it has done to save other threatened populations. He launched Dubai’s “We are all Palestine” campaign, gifting 20 million dirhams ($5.4 million).
That was topped by ruler Sheikh Maktoum ibn Rashid Al-Maktoum who gave 30 million dirhams ($8.2 million) during an overnight telethon. Deputy ruler Sheikh Hamdan donated 20 million dirhams.
Dubai’s affluent trading families stumped up millions more while many women phoned in to pledge their gold, one giving all her wedding jewelry and another her Rolls Royce. Both asked to remain anonymous.
United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Zayed ibn Sultan Al-Nahayan is sponsoring 5,000 orphans in the Palestinian territories as part of the massive humanitarian aid he extended to the Palestinians since the start of the uprising.
Bahraini businessmen are collecting money and medicine for the Palestinians and called for a 15-minute work stoppage yesterday in a show of solidarity. Chamber of Commerce President Abdurrahman Fakhro urged the Bahrainis to donate a day’s salary to the Palestinian cause.
