Israel Matzav

Those 'poor' 'Palestinians'

The nations of the world got together yesterday in Paris and decided to give the 'poor' 'Palestinians' $7.4 billion over the next three years, including $3.4 billion in 2008. That's right: Billion. To put this in perspective, the 'Palestinian' Central Bureau of Statistics claims that the Arab population of Judea and Samaria is 2.5 million (we know it's much less than that) which means that all that aid money comes to $1360 for every man, woman and child in the 'Palestinian Authority' in 2008 and $2960 for every man, woman and child in the 'Palestinian Authority' over the next three years. Maybe I should move there. Since Oslo, the 'Palestinian Authority' has received some $9 billion in foreign aid. Where has it all gone? Khaled Abu Toameh explains:

But hundreds of millions of dollars went into secret bank accounts or to build big villas for senior PA officials.

Yasser Arafat also used the money to buy loyalty, recruiting as many people as possible as civil and security servants.

By depriving his people of the financial aid, Arafat drove many of them into the open arms of Hamas and other radical groups. Many Palestinians became disillusioned with the "peace process" because they never benefited from the fruits of peace.

The international community that was pouring money on the PA did not seem to care about the stories of financial corruption and embezzlement in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [They still don't. CiJ]

Nor did the donors pay attention to the fact that Arafat was inciting his people not only against Israel, but also against the same "infidels" who were signing his checks.

When the second intifada erupted in September 2000, it was also because many Palestinians had nothing to lose. Instead of establishing industrial zones to provide jobs for many unemployed Palestinians, Arafat established a casino and bought luxury vehicles for his loyalists. Instead of building housing projects for the needy, Arafat gave his wife a monthly allowance of $100,000 to support her shopping sprees in Paris.

To cover up for the rampant corruption and mismanagement in the PA, Arafat unleashed a wave of incitement against Israel and the West, especially in the media and mosques. This is the Arab dictators' way of diverting attention from the real problems at home - by keeping their peoples busy hating the West and Israel.

It's estimated that Arafat's PA had received nearly $6.5b. in international aid. [My $9 billion figure came from here. CiJ] A former Arafat aide once admitted that had most of the money been invested for the welfare of the Palestinians, it's most likely they would not have resorted to violence in September 2000 or voted for Hamas six years later.

This time, we are told, will be different. Because this time the money is being handled by the western-looking Salam Fayyad, who makes the donor countries feel more comfortable because he wears a suit rather than army fatigues and a kaffiyeh. But is that really going to make a difference? Not likely according to Abu Toameh:

But the challenges facing Fayad are not different from those that scuttled his previous endeavors.

Fayad wants, for example, to fire thousands of civil and security servants - a move that has already drawn sharp criticism from Fatah operatives.

Moreover, Fayad is still surrounded by many of those who in the past hindered his previous reform schemes under the pretext that he's implementing the agenda of the Americans and Israelis. These are the same figures that fear that Fayad's success may undermine their status and improve his prospects of rising to power.

And all that money will do nothing to undo the 'education' that the 'Palestinian' youth have received from the 'Palestinian Authority' over the last fifteen years:

While the billions of dollars promised at the Paris conference on Monday are likely to improve the living conditions of the Palestinians and strengthen their economy, there is no guarantee that the financial aid would have a moderating effect on many of them.

This money is mainly designed to keep Fatah in power and prevent Hamas from taking over the West Bank. And unless the PA changes its rhetoric and starts promoting real peace and coexistence with Israel, the millions of dollars are not going to create a new generation of moderate Palestinians.

Abu Toameh believes that 'Palestinian' youth can still be offered a 'better alternative' to Hamas. I wish I could share his optimism.

Then again, as far as the Jews are concerned, there's not much difference between Fatah and Hamas anyway.

P.S. And it won't keep Fatah in power either.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 3:17 PM