Diplomat credits Jordan king for Israel tax release

The Palestinian ambassador to Jordan lauded the role of King Abdullah in pushing Israel to release frozen tax revenues to the PA, Jordanian media said Saturday. Ambassador Atallah Khayri told Amman-based daily Al-Arab Al-Youm that the Jordanian king secured international and regional pressure on Israel to unblock the held funds. Khayri said King Abdullah's efforts -- including contact with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the British Prime Minister David Cameron -- paid off when Israel finally released the payments on Dec. 1. Israel announced on Nov. 1 it was stopping the transfer of Palestinian taxes collected by Israel, which include customs duties and amount to around $100 million a month. Palestinian officials called the move Israeli "punishment" for their policies, coming a day after UNESCO voted to admit Palestine as a full member. The Jordanian leader has stepped up his regional diplomacy in recent weeks. King Abdullah made a surprise visit to Ramallah where he met with President Mahmoud Abbas in late November, and was visited by Israeli president Shimon Peres on Monday. Hamas officials say party chief Khalid Mashaal with meet the king in Amman shortly, to restore relations after the country banned the exiled leader over a decade ago.