Question: Have the Palestinians raised concerns regarding their financial aid crunch?
Answer: We are in regular contact with the Palestinian Authority on this and a wide range of other issues of mutual concern. On the specific issue of financial assistance, we continue to support our direct budget assistance program with the Palestinian Authority, and we are also encouraging other partners to contribute. As we have said, the United States believes that it is important to assist in building up Palestinian institutions to create the conditions for a sustainable peace, and that goal is furthered by ensuring the financial stability of the Palestinian Authority. Beyond this, I am not going to get into the specifics of our private diplomatic discussions.
