Does anyone know if these figures are accurate?
“Since the Oslo “peace process” began in 1993, Palestinians have received more than $1.5 billion from the United States — more aid, as the San Francisco Chronicle pointed out in August, than from any other single country. Not that other countries, mainly European ones, haven’t been generous. The Atlantic Monthly’s David Samuels tallied up post-Oslo P aid at $7 billion, estimating that as much as half of that money was siphoned off by Yasir Arafat and his cronies.
Still the bucks flow. This year alone, the Chronicle reported, the United States will double last year’s $275 million PA aid package, paying out $550 million (not including the $50 million handed out in May, as near as I can tell). In July, even as jihadis struck the London Underground, the Group of Eight countries couldn’t pile up money for the PA fast enough, agreeing by 2008 to present its government — which by then could very well include landslide-elected terrorists from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Al Qaeda, whatever — with $9 billion.”
I’m not asking, at this point which side of the fence you are on. I’m not particularly interested in whether you think the Israelis or the Palestinians are good or bad. Nor am I asking how much we should or should not have given to Palestine or to Israel. I’m not even directly interested in how Arafat used the money though evidence shows that he did not use it wisely. What I’m asking is this: How wisely was Americas money spent with the Palestinians?
I like the restaurants and fruit stands of Jericho. Wonderful. No doubt about it they add a certain flair for the tourists. I like the bedouin tents. Very nice. What I don’t like is the continued poverty of so many of the people after the Western countries have poured out quite a bit of money to alleviate poverty. I don’t like the waste and greed that has marked the past among the PA leaders which has contributed to the poverty. I don’t like the destruction of synagogues which doesn’t seem to bother anyone. I don’t like the taking over the Churches and using them to make war. I don’t like the suicidal-homicidal bombings. It troubles me greatly that oil money leaves a few very rich in the Middle East but most people living in poverty.
What I would like to see are strings attached somehow. Let’s see money going to Palestinians of whatever religion who have the ability to create jobs but haven’t the money to do so. Are there ways of finding them. People who can create jobs are the people who can develop industries, start and administer ways to teach people not how to strap on bombs but how to invest in building houses. Where are the Drs. and Administrators and, gasp, even lawyers?
Surely with all the smart people on this board we can resist pointing fingers at either the Palestinians, Israelis, or Americans and we can come up with some ideas for positive development. Don’t the Palestinians deserve that?
Dan L
My passport says ‘British’, not ‘English’.