Boo hoo for the 'poor Palestinians'
Share
Tweet
Dear Editor:
I would like to respond to the staunch advocate of the “plight of the poor Palestinians,” Linda Gradstein’s recent article, “Gaza reconstruction proceeding slowly.” There is much to be said for the current situation resulting in an almost total lack of reconstruction of the damage caused by their unprovoked attack(s) on Israel.
There are several reasons for the slow show of a desire to rebuild. First, that would not enhance the projected image of the living conditions in Gaza. By maintain the image of poverty, the government of Gaza, Hamas, can weep tears of both outrage and pity for their people.
However, let the truth be known. Not only do the surrounding Arab states not care, they don’t give a damn. Trust me, with unemployment as high as 60 to 70 percent for working age men and women, there is no lack of job opportunities to rebuild and improve all aspects of the conditions in Gaza.
Money an issue? No, not really. The U.S. alone provides over $400,000,000 yearly to the Palestinian Authority. This is in addition to the over $150,000,000 contributed to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency ( UNRWA). Add that to what is donated by the European Union, African countries, Asian countries, African countries, South American countries and the little bit from the Arab countries, and you have a lot of working capitol.
So why has this not happened? Like Tevya sang in “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Tradition! Tradition!”
Graft, corruption, theft of materials, the diversion of funds for other projects such as the purchase of weapons from Iran, the manufacturing of rockets, the continued construction of tunnels, the rebuilding of Hamas infrastructure and so on.
The least important in this equation are the Palestinian people themselves. Between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas over 35 percent of the potential funds designated for reconstruction get siphoned off.
Until they fix their own leaks, please don’t shed any tears for the “plight of the poor Palestinians.” Peace with Israel would resolve most of these problems.
Laurence Morrell
Maitland
Reader Comments(0)