WASHINGTON
The Israeli government's decision to release tax revenues to the Palestinian Authority will help stabilize the situation in the West Bank, the U.S. State Department said Friday.
"This is an important step that will benefit the Palestinian people and help stabilize the situation in the West Bank," said State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke.
The State Department's comments came after the Israeli government announced that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved the recommendation to release the tax revenues collected on behalf of the PA after having withheld them for over three months.
In January, the Israeli government kept the transfer of some 500,000 Israeli shekels (about $127,000) worth of Palestinian tax revenue after the PA decided to apply for membership in the International Criminal Court.
The State Department had previously called on Israel several times to release the tax revenue and asked both sides to avoid actions that raise tensions and make it more difficult to return to direct negotiations.
Israel's decision to return the money to the Palestinians came after Netanyahu and President Barack Obama's recent clash.
Netanyahu said he would not allow the creation of a Palestinian state if he won, while the White House in turn had said the U.S. administration would reassess its support for Israel at the UN and other international forums because of Netanyahu's remarks.
Washington experts argue that the U.S. may not stand with Israel to a certain extent, but the White House will not abandon its key ally.
