PA PROMISE OF TEACHER SALARY PAYMENTS UNFULFILLED;

C O N F I D E N T I A L JERUSALEM 004773

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

NEA FOR FRONT OFFICE; NEA/IPA FOR
WILLIAMS/SHAMPAINE/STEINGER; PRM FOR PDAS GREENE AND
PRM/ANE; NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/WATERS; TREASURY FOR
SZUBIN/LOEFFLER/NUGENT/HIRSON; BRUSSELS FOR LERNER; PLEASE
PASS TO USAID FOR KUNDER/MCCLOUD/BORODIN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/09/16
TAGS: EFIN ELAB PGOV KWBG
SUBJECT: PA PROMISE OF TEACHER SALARY PAYMENTS UNFULFILLED;
GENERAL STRIKE KEEPS SCHOOLS CLOSED

REF: JERUSALEM 4747

CLASSIFIED BY: CONSUL GENERAL JAKE WALLES, REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D)


1. (SBU) AS PART OF AN AGREEMENT REACHED NOVEMBER 6 (REFTEL)
THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY (PA) ANNOUNCED THAT IT WOULD BEGIN
PAYING PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS NIS 1,000 ON NOVEMBER 9.
MINISTER OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
JAMAL AL-KHUDARI ORDERED POST OFFICE WORKERS, WHO ARE
OBSERVING A THREE-DAY GENERAL STRIKE PROTESTING THE IDF'S
DEADLY ARTILLERY SHELLING OF BEIT HANOUN IN GAZA, TO REPORT
TO WORK NOVEMBER 9 SO THAT TEACHERS CAN COLLECT THE PARTIAL
PAYMENT OF THEIR MONTHLY SALARY. POST OFFICE EMPLOYEES IN
THE NABLUS MUNICIPALITY, HOWEVER, REPORTEDLY TOLD TEACHERS
THAT NO FUNDS WERE AVAILABLE AND SUGGESTED THAT THEY RETURN
ON NOVEMBER 11. POST OFFICES IN BETHANY DID NOT OPEN. POST
OFFICES IN MANY OTHER AREA ALSO REMAINED CLOSED. IN HEBRON,
HOWEVER, SOME TEACHERS REPORTEDLY RECEIVED PAYMENT, ACCORDING
TO THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS' CONVERSATIONS WITH ECONSPECIALIST.



2. (C) PRESIDENTIAL ECONOMIC ADVISOR MOHAMMAD MUSTAFA
CONFIRMED TO ECONCHIEF NOVEMBER 9 THAT THE PA, AND NOT THE
PRESIDENCY, IS MAKING THESE PAYMENTS. IMF RESIDENT
REPRESENTATIVE JOEL TOUJAS-BERNATE TOLD ECONCHIEF NOVEMBER 7
THAT HE COULD NOT CONFIRM HOW THE PA IS MAKING THESE PAYMENTS
BUT SPECULATED THAT DOMESTIC REVENUES ARE THE LIKELY SOURCE.

3. (SBU) UNDER THE TERMS OF THE NOVEMBER 6 AGREEMENT,
TEACHERS WERE EXPECTED TO GO BACK TO WORK ON NOVEMBER 7 AND
STUDENTS TO FOLLOW ON NOVEMBER 11. LARGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS
-- DEPRIVED OF CLASSES FOR OVER TWO MONTHS -- NEVERTHELESS
BEGAN SHOWING UP AT SCHOOLS ON NOVEMBER 7. ABOUT 70 PERCENT
OF STUDENTS IN QALQILIYA WENT TO SCHOOL ON NOVEMBER 7 AND 80
PERCENT OF STUDENTS IN TULKAREM SHOWED UP AT CLASS, ACCORDING
TO THE ARABIC-LANGUAGE DAILY AL-AYYAM. DUE TO THE GENERAL
STRIKE IN RESPONSE TO THE DEATHS IN BEIT HANOUN, HOWEVER,
PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL NOVEMBER 11 OR 12.


WALLES