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What money cannot buy
By Israel Harel
Tags: Palestinian, national pride

When Israel, in a moment of weakness of historic proportions, allowed Yasser Arafat and 40,000 of his fighters to enter Jericho and the Gaza Strip, the world - excited at the first signs of a Palestinian state - loaded them with money. Israeli and Jewish foundations were also engaged to build new Palestinian factories and develop educational projects. The theory, then and now, was that people who are financially stable do not resort to violence.

But instead of education, construction, employment and welfare, most of the funds were diverted to terrorism, the upkeep of bloated, corrupt organizations and the private bank accounts of the Arafat gang and not a few corrupt interlocutors from Israel.

It seems that the decision makers have learned nothing since. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas was promised more than $7 billion by the representatives of donor nations, who gathered in Paris last week. This enormous figure proves that the donor states - along with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and her team, some Military Intelligence analysts and certainly the talking heads - believe that money can buy anything, including national sentiments. This just goes to show they refuse to learn from experience.
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Abbas, even if his intentions are good (which he has only rhetorically proved thus far), does not even control Fatah-linked groups. He therefore cannot ensure that the funds alloted to humanitarian and economic projects will not, as they have in the past, trickle into the pockets of cronies and terrorist organizations.

Palestinian groups consider Abbas and his associates to be traitors; they were glimpsed in Paris embracing world leaders and Zionist enemy representatives while Israel Defense Forces gunships were attacking Palestinians. No amount of money, the heads of the terrorist organizations said, will make them recognize Israel or end the war against it.

Were democracy, education, culture, economic prosperity and civil rights the goals of Middle Eastern nations, Iran's petroleum wealth would not be invested in long-range missiles and nuclear reactors.

Likewise, the oil revenues of Saudi Arabia, Syria and Egypt would be spent on establishing democracy and economic and social stability - not on funding corrupt regimes and producting and procuring modern weapons.

The Israeli leadership, despite intelligence information showing the Palestinians are determined to continue fighting, wants to dispel the illusion that achievements were made at Annapolis and Paris - achievements which would lead to a final settlement.

If there were any achievements, they were virtual. Something important apparently happens when ministers travel abroad; some accompanying reporters try to cover up the void. Who among them would dare report that much of the big event - of Annapolis, for example - is cosmetic? Part of a show?

More troubling than the real and present danger that the funds, like in the past, will be used for abominable purposes, is the notion in Israel, that national sentiments, or peace, can be bought with money.

Were economic progress and education at the top of Palestinian priorities, most of the residents of refugee camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and the Gaza Strip (who humanitarian organizations have tried to assist) would have found a way out of their atrophic reality and built for themselves and their offspring, lives filled with prosperity and self-respect.

However, in their eyes, national pride comes before personal and familial well-being. Only when they return to their homes in Jaffa and Haifa will their pride be restored.

Therefore, they continue to live in squalid conditions in refugee camps - out of choice. Contrary to the principles of the Western and Israeli dream - economic prosperity and individual rights - the Palestinians dream of returning.

A change to this dream cannot be bought, for the information of those spreading illusions in Israel and the world - not even with $7 billion.
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  1.   shame 11:51  |  Anonymous 20/12/07
  2.   Blame the victim 11:59  |  Sean 20/12/07
  3.   the real reason is unwra the 60 year handouts 12:14  |  victor hardman 20/12/07
  4.   Warped view of history 12:15  |  Joseph 20/12/07
  5.   Israel is honest and morally upright. All others are corrupt. 12:20  |  Natallie Durson 20/12/07
  6.   #2sean and the merry derry ignorance 12:23  |  victor hardman 20/12/07
  7.   9/11 bombers were not poor refugees 12:25  |  Steven 20/12/07
  8.   Sean,apple your inane babbling on your Catholic Polish bretheren 12:26  |  Absolute Sweden 20/12/07
  9.   Sean for Ireland is for occupation and land theft 12:28  |  Steven 20/12/07
  10.   JEWISH APARTHIED... SO GOOD AT FALSIFYING FACTS 12:29  |  TrippleJump 20/12/07
  11.   Durson has no arguments read on for proof 12:34  |  Steven 20/12/07
  12.   throwing stones at the weak 13:00  |  otiwa ogede 20/12/07
  13.   Israel Harel`s Myopia 13:02  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  14.   This is One of the Most Vicious of Harel`s Lies 13:06  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  15.   Be honest, Sean 13:17  |  nina 20/12/07
  16.   The REAL injustice, Natallie 13:28  |  nina 20/12/07
  17.   ARAB APARTHEID keeps them squalid refugees in Arab countries.Why? 14:06  |  PETER SM 20/12/07
  18.   GOOD ARTICLE. IT`S NICE TO READ TRUTH AND REALITY ON HAARETZ 14:12  |  Steve Randolph 20/12/07
  19.   Anti-Jew powers used stupid Palestinians as pawns against Israel 14:16  |  Steve Randolph 20/12/07
  20.   be honest Nina 14:17  |  Sean 20/12/07
  21.   IF EVERYONE ACTED LIKE PALESTINIANS MOST OF EARTH WOULD BE AT WAR 14:22  |  Steve Randolph 20/12/07
  22.   MOST ARAB COUNTRIES ARE IN POVERTY. IT ISN`T ISRAEL`S FAULT 14:26  |  Steve Randolph 20/12/07
  23.   PEACE CAN HAPPEN IF CRAZED ANTI-ISRAEL PEOPLE LOSE INFLUENCE 14:31  |  Steve Randolph 20/12/07
  24.   How the Zionists hate Refugee camps and UNRWA 15:04  |  Ben Alofs 20/12/07
  25.   #13-14 Sullivan 15:13  |  Shlomo 20/12/07
  26.   billions of petro-dollars could have helped palestinians... 15:13  |  Luis 20/12/07
  27.   Harel is completely right! I would go further... 15:30  |  Luis 20/12/07
  28.   Palestinian education 15:30  |  Palestinian Brits 20/12/07
  29.   Blame the Arab League Nefarious Edict 15:32  |  B 20/12/07
  30.   money,money,money 15:33  |  joe 20/12/07
  31.   Luis..No 26 15:35  |  Palestinian Brit 20/12/07
  32.   Palestinians squander all the money away 15:38  |  Mohammad "Teddy" Ber 20/12/07
  33.   Pals are the wealthiest so called refugees in the world 15:42  |  JB 20/12/07
  34.   #14 Sullivan, what happens when hate spills over 15:51  |  Eugene 20/12/07
  35.   so, tell me honestly, Sean- 15:57  |  nina 20/12/07
  36.   #31 Myths and facts 16:07  |  Bob 20/12/07
  37.   22 Ben Olofs, Thank you for uplifting the Palestinians & UNRWA 16:15  |  Dutch 20/12/07
  38.   To Shlomo #25 on Israel`s Desacration of Mosques 16:16  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  39.   THIS RACIST ARTICLE IS DISGUSTING 16:18  |  Mariano 20/12/07
  40.   Mariano - on similarities.... 16:25  |  Palestinian Brit 20/12/07
  41.   #39 Mariano 16:33  |  Alan 20/12/07
  42.   Ein karem - mosque and church 16:33  |  Palestinian Brit 20/12/07
  43.   WHAT MONEY CAN BUY...... A LOBBY OF DISINFORMATION 16:33  |  TrippleJump 20/12/07
  44.   Hello Sean, Yes, this is the same old blame the victim response 16:39  |  Dutch 20/12/07
  45.   Suggest Israel Harel to meet with all refugees 16:40  |  El-birawi 20/12/07
  46.   #24 Ben 16:42  |  Alan 20/12/07
  47.   #38 Sullivan, with all due respect to Gideon 16:44  |  Eugene 20/12/07
  48.   # 42 Palestinian Brit 16:50  |  Alan 20/12/07
  49.   #42, a small addendum 16:51  |  Eugene 20/12/07
  50.   Eugene on when hate spills over #34 16:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  51.   Culture is difficult to change 16:56  |  TOMY 20/12/07
  52.   Arabs need to sort themslves out, but occupation is not justified 17:20  |  Michael 20/12/07
  53.   Eugene on his jesuitical literalness 17:25  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  54.   #48, Sullivan is spreading the lies again 17:25  |  Eugene 20/12/07
  55.   The robber complains against the robbed 17:28  |  Tosefta 20/12/07
  56.   Harel 17:28  |  Fear and loathing 20/12/07
  57.   No, Eugene, you cant get away with that on Beit Hakerem 17:29  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  58.   I was a refugee 17:31  |  Boris 20/12/07
  59.   Club Palestine : Free food, free meds... and best of all... 17:38  |  Klaudia 20/12/07
  60.   Confusing arguments 17:50  |  klas 20/12/07
  61.   Steve, Alan, and some other foreign talkbackers 17:56  |  Omar 20/12/07
  62.   Eugene on Church in Baram 18:00  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  63.   Yes, Israel Harel money can`t buy freedom .... 18:04  |  Dutch 20/12/07
  64.   Sean explain our parliamentary system more clearly 18:05  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/12/07
  65.   PalBrit 18:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/12/07
  66.   Arabs, money & more money. 18:07  |  curious 20/12/07
  67.   One thing you are all forgetting 18:10  |  Steve 20/12/07
  68.   # 65 Maggi: who is stupid? 18:21  |  Palestinian Akram Z 20/12/07
  69.   # 21 at Least Palestinians are fighting for their rights 18:25  |  PALESTINIAN 20/12/07
  70.   #22 Focus on the issue 18:28  |  PALESTINIAN 20/12/07
  71.   #23 Peace = death of Zionism 18:31  |  Palestinain 20/12/07
  72.   Israel runs an apartheid regime by choice 18:34  |  Stephen Murray 20/12/07
  73.   #41 doris and the convenient history 18:35  |  victor hardman 20/12/07
  74.   PalBrit 18:42  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/12/07
  75.   Yaacov Sullivan`s crazed obsession 18:52  |  Lee 20/12/07
  76.   jaakov sullivan and destruction of holy sites 18:57  |  norman A. Blumberg 20/12/07
  77.   To norman A. Blumberg 19:21  |  klas 20/12/07
  78.   What chance peace? 19:21  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 20/12/07
  79.   Justinian Sullivan, an eyewitness account on Ein Kerem 19:22  |  Jake 20/12/07
  80.   Blumberg and his challenge 19:23  |  Yaakov Sullivan 20/12/07
  81.   @65 Margie in T.A. 19:23  |  Mark B.