economy

Israeli trade restrictions cripple Palestinian economy. Arab workers lack access to higher-wage Israeli labor market. Israel must not hinder free movement of Palestinians between Gaza and Judea/ Samaria.

No embargo was ever imposed on Palestinian trade. US and EU briefly ceased aid to Palestine after the democratic elections brought Hamas to power. Palestine receives more aid compared to its GDP than any other country.

strike over not receiving their salaries on time. No Palestinian group has ever protested Hamas or PLO attacks on Israel.

Echoing the ludicrous Dayton’s recommendations, the World Bank criticizes Israeli roadblocks and restrictions on terrorists’ movement between Gaza and Judea/Samaria.
Under the oppressive Israeli rule, Palestinians posted the highest non-oil economic growth rates among the Arab nations. The oppressed Palestinians have one of the world’s highest population growth rates. Palestinian economy is entirely dependent upon selling tax-free produce and labor in Israel. The World Bank remains silent about Western countries that close their borders to migrant workers and oppose price dumping. Israel restricted influx of Palestinian workers after the terrorists became too many.

Foreign aid to Palestine increased to $900 mil in 2006 from $349 mil in 2005 despite boycott. Despite the state of war and rocket barrages from Gaza, Israel continues to collect tax payments on behalf of Palestinian Authority.

Hamas threatens to block British Gas deal with Israel. Israel wants to buy billions dollars worth of gas from BG’s offshore gas field near Gaza which Barak has transferred to Arafat.

Bowing down to the Quartet’s pressure, Israel agrees to release unspecified amount of tax revenues she collects for the Palestinian authority. $100 million released earlier this year were misused by the Palestinians, much went to Hamas programs and employees.
Israel would do well by using the “Palestinian” money to pay for reinforcing Sderot. Paying an enemy country which refuses to sign peace treaty and consistently engages in hostile acts, is without precedent in the modern world history.

Israeli killed Farawneh, one of the kidnappers, soon after the event. Palestinian Authority pays his family 38 shekels per month, or about $10. Other families of Palestinian martyrs also receive pensions from Palestinian government. Palestinian pensions are largely funded by Israeli tax transfers.

The Foreign Ministry announced that Israel sent 733 tons of animal fodder to Gaza – free. Shelling of Israel from Gaza continues.

Human rights organizations claim 85% of Gazans receive the UN food aid (an inflated number) and three-quarters of factories are closed (Legal Center for Freedom of Movement). The next time the Gazans will go to polling booths, they might think better.

Palestine’s government employees in Gaza received salaries from the $110 million paid by Israel to Fatah. Rewarding Hamas voters and employees, Israeli government ignores a question: how did they work for 15 months without receiving salaries? Palestine is flushed with cash from Muslim governments and laborers’ payments for illegal work in Israel.

Fayad promised to deliver to Gaza some of the aid international community pledged to Palestinian Authority. Hamas called insufficient aid sharing a declaration of war.

spent at least $300 million in the Egyptian-occupied Sinai during the last week when they breached Egypt-Gaza border.

Palestinian “prime minister” means they live comfortably on the UN handouts, foreign aid, and Israeli tax transfers duly transferred to Gaza by Fatah government.

Gazans have dumped 17 million gallons of sewage into Mediterranean in the last 3 months. Though the Arabs claim this as the result of Israeli blockade, comparable dumping was taking place for the years.

Israel made $54 million of “tax transfers” to the Fatah gang for May. Palestinian terrorists complain they are entitled to $20 million more.

Palestinian Bureau of Statistics published poverty rate as 80% in Gaza and 48% in the West Bank. Never mind that in the Palestinian black market economy, statistics inherently is a genre of fiction.
The word “poverty” means income substantially below the average or normal for the particular society. By definition, poverty rate is always small.

Fatah gangster Fayad, other officials lashed out against donor countries for their failure to subsidize the Palestinian Authority. That “failure” led to Palestinian budget deficit of $2 billion. It doesn’t occur to Palestinians that budget deficit cannot be donors’ fault, but is the result of their own abysmal productivity and irresponsible spending. 5% of Palestinians are employed by their government as security men. Astonishingly for Fatah thugs, Arab donor countries demand more transparent accounting and reconciliation with Hamas. Israel is the only donor who pays Fatah on time with “tax transfers.”
Palestine receives more foreign aid than Israel.

The UN sheds tears over the extreme poverty in Gaza, but its population is apparently solvent enough to consume massive quantities of drugs.

In a clear sign of economic progress, Palestinians were building a half-mile-long pipeline to transport fuel into Gaza.
Their ingenuity and labor are truly admirable. About one hundred tunnels operate in Gaza, with new ones coming up daily. Smugglers use them extensively for anything from cigarettes to weapons, and the going rate for smuggling is $100 per box of anything.