As regular readers know, the BBC has for years avoided the issue of debts owed to the Israeli company which supplies electricity to the Palestinian distributor in PA controlled areas.
BBC promotes selective narrative on PA economy
BBC again avoids informing audiences about PA debt to Israel
BBC sidesteps the story of PA electricity debt to Israel
BBC audiences are therefore unaware of the latest chapter in that long-running saga.
“Israel’s state-owned electric company said Wednesday it was ending power cuts to the West Bank after the Palestinian Authority paid over half of its outstanding debt.
In September, the Israel Electric Corporation began cutting power in parts of the West Bank over the NIS 1.7 billion ($500 million) debt owed by the main Palestinian power distributor for the West Bank.
On Wednesday, the IEC said it had received NIS 920 million ($267 million) from the Palestinians.
“The electric company will cease the power cuts over the debts,” a statement from the IEC said, adding it would hold further negotiations with the power distributor and the Palestinian Authority on the repayment of the remainder of the outstanding funds.”
The company owing the debt is the Jerusalem District Electricity Company – JDECO.
“JDECO buys electricity from the IEC and distributes it to hundreds of thousands of customers in East Jerusalem, Ramallah/Al-Bireh, Bethlehem and Jericho.”
While the subject of utilities such as electricity and water features frequently in BBC reporting on the Palestinians, the long-running story of the PA’s failure to pay for electricity supplied by Israel is not considered newsworthy.
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