Israel Matzav

The $100 million man

Khaled Abu Toameh reports that 'moderate' 'Palestinian' President Mahmoud Abbas Abu Mazen is worth an estimated $100 million. While that pales compared with the $500 million that former Arafat adviser Mohammed Rashid is purportedly worth, Abu Toameh thinks that if the donor countries find out how much Abu Mazen, Rashid and others embezzled from the 'Palestinian Authority' coffers during the Arafat days, it might discourage them from making further donations to the world's top per capita recipient of foreign aid charity.

Palestinian leaders in Ramallah, including President Mahmoud Abbas, are deeply concerned that Rashid's revelations could seriously embarrass them and expose their role in the embezzlement of public funds.

They are also worried that Rashid's revelations could prompt some Americans and Europeans to reconsider their decision to pour millions of dollars into the Palestinian Authority's coffers.

Rashid, after all, was not a junior official in the Palestinian Authority. He was an insider, someone who was very close to Arafat and probably the only official who knows where hundreds of millions of dollars ended up.

The Palestinian Authority's decision to issue an arrest warrant against him does not seem to worry Rashid, who this week demanded a probe into Abbas's personal fortune, which he estimated at more than $100 million.

So Abbas is saying that Rashid stole hundreds of millions of dollars, while Rashid is accusing the president of embezzling "only" $100 million. This is happening at a time when international donors are continuing to channel more funds every month to the Palestinian Authority, often without holding its leaders accountable or demanding to know how the money is being spent.

I don't believe that anything will stop the 'international community' from continuing to pour money on the 'Palestinians.' After all, this information has been out there for years, and no one cared about it until now. It might stop the Arab countries, who resent cheating among their own, from donating to the 'Palestinians.' But then, they have never paid anywhere near what they pledged anyway. And it won't stop the Europeans - who donate out of Jew hatred - nor will it stop the Americans, who continue to donate money to the 'Palestinians' out of naivete.

And by the way, who says that Arafat's death brought an end to all the embezzling?

Labels: Abu Mazen, Palestinian Authority corruption, Palestinian Authority donors

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 10:48 PM