WASHINGTON DC, July 7 – The American Task Force on Palestine (ATFP) welcomes the announcement that the Group of Eight has pledged to raise up to three billion dollars in the next few years for the Palestinian Authority. Announcing the pledge today, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the aid was in support of Israeli-Palestinian peace. The decision was taken so that "two states, Israel and Palestine, two peoples and two religions can live side by side in peace," Blair added. ATFP has been advocating greater aid to the Palestinian Authority to promote the development of Palestinian institutions and to pave the way for Palestinian statehood.

ATFP views the G8 pledge as an expression of confidence in the leadership of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Finance Minister Salam Fayyad and the instruments of accountability and transparency they have been building in the PA. The Task Force also urged the Arab states to increase their aid to the Palestinians at this critical juncture.

ATFP affirmed that the political and financial support of the international community is crucial to nurturing the current moment of hopefulness in the region and ensuring that present positive developments evolve into an end to the Middle East conflict based on two states, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace.