Both of the main Palestinian dailies, Al-Hayyat Al-Jadida and Al-Quds, praised the Saudi government on their front pages for providing $7m to support the Intifada. Dr. Ahmad Muhamad Ali, President of the Islamic Bank for Development, mentioned that another $10m should be forthcoming from other Arab governments, as agreed in the recent pan-Arab summit in Beirut.
The money was donated to the Al-Aqsa fund. It is believed that this fund supports suicide bombing attacks against civilians by paying sums of up to $20,000 to families of bombers. The Israeli army has a policy of destroying the homes of families of bombers as a deterrent measure. This is obviously a counter-measure, making sending a family member to blow himself up a profitable venture. It is believed that Iraq is also involved in this program. This subject is straining relations between the U.S. and the Arab world. The Arab world argues this money is going to alleviate the unbearable humanitarian conditions in Israeli-controlled territories. Israel believes this money goes to further terrorism, which forces it to continue with the closures and curfews which are causing much of the hardship.
Recently, a telethon was held live on Saudi television to raise money for relatives of suicide bombers.