Israel Matzav

'Palestinian leadership' scandalized by Abu Junior interview

The 'Palestinian leadership' in Ramallah is 'scandalized' by an interview given by Yasser Abbas, the son of 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen to a Dubai-based economic magazine this week. It seems that like his namesake, Yasser Arafat, 46-year old Yasser Abbas is quite wealthy, although he got that way by doing business in Canada and not (or so he claims) by stealing international aid money. It's amazing what a few years of living in the West (not among the Muslims of Europe) will do for the son of a terrorist. He's not Nonie Darwish yet, but he's not his father or his namesake either. He's - dare we say it - a little more 'moderate.' And Daddy's friends aren't too happy about it.

"It would have been better if Yasser did not speak out, especially about his wealth," the official told The Jerusalem Post. "His comments have embarrassed the Palestinian leadership."

In the interview, the first of its kind, the 46-year-old Yasser, who is a Canadian national, claimed that 25 percent of his income went to the PA budget. In return, he said, the PA government had never offered him so much as a free airline ticket or one pill of Aspirin for his daughter.

He revealed that the PA owed him a lot of money, but that he was unable to use his influence and status to collect the debt as he wished to avoid being accused of exploiting his father's position.

"I worked very hard to collect my fortune," he said. "I became wealthy before my father was elected president and I will continue to do business after his term in office expires."

The son also revealed that he owns a number of companies (Falcon Trading Group) with an annual income of $35 million. He complained, however, that he had never received any privileges due to the fact that he's the son of the PA president.

He said that he first arrived in the PA territories in 1996, obtained a PA-issued ID card and established his first construction company - First Option - with a relatively modest capital.

He said that his business was so successful that within a short period of four years he established a major real estate firm. One of his smaller companies, Falcon Tobacco, has a monopoly over the marketing of US-made cigarettes such as Kent and Lucky in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, he added.

Yasser also launched a scathing attack on the Hamas government, holding it responsible for the current economic crisis in the Gaza Strip. He said that he didn't expect the international aid to be sent to the Palestinians as long as the power struggle between Hamas and Fatah continued.

...

Asked if he was doing business with Israelis, Yasser replied: "How can you get merchandise into the Gaza Strip if the Israeli and Palestinian ministers of economy don't talk to each other? Dozens of Hamas supporters are receiving medical treatment in Israeli hospitals. Most Palestinians collaborate with Israel, while the rest live on the rain."

Junior had better watch out. We all know what happens to 'collaborators' in the 'Palestinian Authority,' don't we?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:55 PM