140,000 employees + $0 = trouble for Palestinian Authority

[yesdachi]

Why do so many countries, Including the US and until recently Canada, give them (http://www.comcast.net/news/international/index.jsp?cat=INTERNATIONAL&fn=/2006/04/05/361455.html) money in the first place? How can a country decide to be completely dependant on “massive foreign aid”? I know that there has always been a lot of western money being given to middle-eastern countries but why? What benefit is there in giving all this foreign aid? I’m pretty confused on this, can anyone shed some light for me?

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip - The coffers of the new Hamas government are empty, the Palestinian prime minister told his Cabinet Wednesday in the first public acknowledgment by the Islamic militants that they will have difficulty running the West Bank and Gaza without massive foreign aid.

Ismail Haniyeh suggested the Palestinian Authority will find it hard to meet its monthly payroll of 140,000 employees _ salaries that sustain about one-third of the Palestinians. He appealed to the Arab world for more aid, saying pledges of $55 million a month are insufficient.

The prime minister spoke at the first meeting of his Cabinet, a week after Hamas took power. The new ministers need to find ways to make up for tens of millions of dollars in foreign aid the international community is expected to withhold because of Hamas' refusal to recognize Israel and renounce violence.

Israel also has frozen the transfer of tens of millions of dollars in tax revenues it collects on behalf of the Palestinians since shortly after Hamas' January election victory.

more (http://www.comcast.net/news/international/index.jsp?cat=INTERNATIONAL&fn=/2006/04/05/361455.html)

[Major Robert Dump]

Well I'd say that having one-third of your population as salaried government employees is the problem, especially in a "country" as small as they. Maybe if they would get it through their skulls that Isreal isn't going anywhere, and that the only direction to expand is out and amongst neighbors, and that running a society based on hate isn't exactly good for business because then you end up inbred and suffering brain drain (your smart citizens say screw these hillbillies and leave)

I'm no fan of Isreal either, and its kind of lame they are witholding tax revenue, but this isn't exactly a surpsise. Maybe Palestine can organize some more fake shootouts to get some public support

[Kraxis]

Well the Pallies do have problems with employment and production of goods, so I don't think it is reall something they chose to do. Much like some of the African countries haven't decided to become dependant on aid, but circumstances have forced them to be dependant.

Mind you, this is not a post taking a stance on the political situation.

[Watchman]

The Palestinian territories weren't exactly economically or otherwise viable even at the best of times. That's one of the bigger issues they have with the Israeli approach to the West Bank actually, speaking of the rational concerns.

[Tribesman]

Well I'd say that having one-third of your population as salaried government employees is the problem, especially in a "country" as small as they.
Well I wOOd say that MRD might want to go back to skool and learn sum of dem funny fings calleddes numberers .

Now den i be wonderinwy that dere Plaestinian atoroty dobe gettin dem money ?
do it beunder dis pogram or dat pogrom ?
maybeperhapsin
So den wot do behappenin wen dey porogram dobe stoppin ?
Do it meandat allodeyskools wot aint gettinder minies anymores gon be gettin fer moneie from der wadicals istead.
dat sownds lice a goood muve tu me :oops:

[Divinus Arma]

I'm no fan of Isreal either, and its kind of lame they are witholding tax revenue, but this isn't exactly a surpsise.

Israel isn't withholding it. Israel used to collect taxes for the Palestinian authority. They have since stopped doing that since Hamas took power. That means there is no money to withhold since they are not collecting it for the PA anymore.

Since the palsetinians elected Hamas, then they have to deal with their choice. And that means Israel is not going to do the government any favors like it used to. I say that since the people elected Hamas, they can go suck a lemon.

[Tribesman]

Israel isn't withholding it. Israel used to collect taxes for the Palestinian authority. They have since stopped doing that since Hamas took power.
Really , since when ?
Thats big news isn't it , Israel abolishes import/export tax .:inquisitive:

[Major Robert Dump]

Well I'd say that having one-third of your population as salaried government employees is the problem, especially in a "country" as small as they.
Well I wOOd say that MRD might want to go back to skool and learn sum of dem funny fings calleddes numberers .

Now den i be wonderinwy that dere Plaestinian atoroty dobe gettin dem money ?
do it beunder dis pogram or dat pogrom ?
maybeperhapsin
So den wot do behappenin wen dey porogram dobe stoppin ?
Do it meandat allodeyskools wot aint gettinder minies anymores gon be gettin fer moneie from der wadicals istead.
dat sownds lice a goood muve tu me :oops:


sorry man, I don't have any idea what you're saying. I suppose maybe I'm wrong or something that having a third of the country dependent on government jobs is bad for a podunk economy? Is that what you were saying, because I don't speak Virginian, sorry

[Scurvy]

Since the palsetinians elected Hamas, then they have to deal with their choice. And that means Israel is not going to do the government any favors like it used to. I say that since the people elected Hamas, they can go suck a lemon.

i dont see why it being hamas makes any difference, they are represented as a political party, and so both israel and palestine have a duty to try to resolve the conflict, and this kind of thing just makes it worse... im not blaming the isrealites though, as Hamas as a terrorist group did some pretty horrible things....

[Idaho]

There is no palestinian economy. The place has no ports, no exports, no free flow of goods or people. It is under curfew, has had land and resources (water) appropriated by Israel.

It's like getting a donkey, cutting one of it's legs off, kicking the sh*t out of it and saying - "look at that sorry specimen, I have no sympathy for a racehorse which can't keep up with the pace".

[Avicenna]

Why do so many countries, Including the US and until recently Canada, give them money in the first place? I know that there has always been a lot of western money being given to middle-eastern countries but why? What benefit is there in giving all this foreign aid? I’m pretty confused on this, can anyone shed some light for me?

Well, if the developed countries help the less developed countries:
1) the country can develop, and a more developed country means more trade and therefore more money
2) strengthen the relationship with the particular country, which might have resources you want (eg. in middle east, oil), or you simply want them to fight your wars for you, or maybe their country is a nice place to stage an attack on a security concern that you want to eliminate
3) quite simply, it's moral to help those who are in poverty and need help

[Watchman]

Plus it beats leaving them high and dry to starve. The region's an unstable bottle of nitroglycering as is, food riots and general anarchy wouldn't exactly help things. Even Israel seems to think that.

I'm also under the impresison that a great many Palestinians (used to) work in Israel, to the point where the latter's economy would be in serious trouble if it lost that source of cheap labor. Which only further illustrates how perverse all the mutual loathing really is.

Christ, but I so hate jingoist nationalism. Did it ever actually do anyone any good anyway...?

[Tribesman]

sorry man, I don't have any idea what you're saying.
Oh , I thought that maybe you would understand gibberish as you are having some problems understanding the English language .

I suppose maybe I'm wrong or something that having a third of the country dependent on government jobs is bad for a podunk economy?
Now then ,thats a bit more like it .
There is a big difference between having a third of the population dependant on the money from the government and a third of the population being salaried government employees .
As for podunk economies , how many people in DC are salaried employees of the government , and how many are dependant on money from the government ?
Or take any country and add together the numbers of polticians ,civil servants , health workers , police , military , street cleaners , transport workers, school teachers.......the list just goes on and on doesn't it .Then add all those whose jobs involve taking the money off of those government employees , be it for food , services , accomodation .....then see how much the population any country is dependant on government jobs .
If you want you can then add all the numbers of those who are dependant on welfare payments of one sort or another as well .
It does seem that most countries are in fact podunk economies who will grind to a standstill if the government has no money and no means of getting more money .:idea2:

[rory_20_uk]

Idaho hit the nail on the head there. Things that Palestine should be able to manufacture Israel refuses to allow them to trade (e.g. potentially highly profitable vegetables).

But Palestinians elected a party who wants Israel destroyed. They democratically chose 'em. Although israel was very slowly lossening the reigns on the Palestine area, they obviously feel that they now have to tighten them.

The mess is the fault of both Palestine and Israel. Israel can play hardball, Palestine can not afford the same luxuary.

~:smoking:

[yesdachi]

Way to go Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands! What are you going to do with all that extra cash! Link to article. (http://www.comcast.net/news/international/europe/index.jsp?cat=EUROPE&fn=/2006/04/10/364935.html)


Officials said EU nations will review separate bilateral aid as well. Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands have already halted theirs and more may follow suit although no immediate statement to that effect was made.

I just can’t believe that there is a country (of terrorists) that is almost completely funded by foreign aid, perhaps I am naive but I still don’t get it. Look at that budget, its all given to them, WTF!


The annual Palestinian budget is about $1.9 billion. The $1.3 billion in foreign aid last year accounted for 32 percent of Palestinian gross domestic product, making Palestinians the biggest per capita recipients of foreign aid in the world.

[PanzerJaeger]

As for podunk economies , how many people in DC are salaried employees of the government , and how many are dependant on money from the government ?

DC is the capitol of a huge nation, so the percentage of government jobs will certainly be higher there than in other parts of America. However, I doubt even in DC 1/3 of the population are on government salary - maybe add welfare people - as the city is a shithole - you may get close to that number.

In the rest of the US though, 1/3 of the employed citizenry are certainly not government employees.