UN agency report shows West Bank economy not flourishing
Despite Netanyahu's statement to U.S. Congress that the Palestinian economy was booming, report reveals that one in four Palestinians in the workforce is unemployed.
By Reuters Tags: West Bank PalestiniansResearch by the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees challenges the picture of a flourishing West Bank economy freed up by a relaxation of Israel's military presence, the agency said on Wednesday.
The report by the agency UNRWA shows that unemployment in the second half of 2010 grew much faster than employment, and average purchasing power continued to decline.
Of six major private sector activities, only two recorded employment gains during the second half of last year. Overall, one in four Palestinians in the workforce was unemployed.
"While there was modest employment growth, such growth was on the wane in 2010 while the number of unemployed accelerated in the second half of the year," said author Salem Ajluni.
The report's findings challenge assertions that the Palestinian economy is growing, helped by the removal of Israeli roadblocks and other movement restrictions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a speech to the U.S. Congress last month that the Palestinian economy was booming.
Palestinian policymakers have projected growth of 7 percent in 2011 for both the West Bank and Gaza, though they point out that high growth rates in recent years have largely been dependent on international aid for the Palestinians.
The UNRWA report said: "The average broad refugee unemployment rate rose by more than a percentage point to 27.9 percent relative to first-half 2009 as compared to 24.1 per cent rate for non-refugees."
Both employed refugees and non-refugees lost an average of about 3 percent in real value of their wages.
"The implications of these results are profound for the refugees served by UNRWA," said UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness.
"The occupation and its related infrastructure such as settlements and settler-only roads that encroach on and divide Palestinian land, settler violence and the West Bank barrier have diminished prospects for Palestinians in general and especially for refugees."
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Palestinian laborers wait for work on the side of a road after crossing through Israel's Eyal checkpoint from the West Bank town of Qalqilya June 1, 2011. |
| Photo by: Reuters |
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The crux of this report is to keep the UNRWA scam alive and well. The so called refugees receive more welfare money than any people in the world and in history. These are not refugee camps, but permanent neighborhoods.
It was almost completely based on current Israeli hasbara...and THUS is the nature of its propaganda!
NOT because of anything Israel has done...and Netanyahu trying to make that claim is hasbara claiming credit for something that STILL suffers limitations because of the limiting policies of Israel's oppressive occupation!
If the Palestine economy flourishes, it's all because of Israeli benevolence and restraint, according to Israelis of a right wing hue. (For which there is no evidence at ll). If the Palestine economy struggles, it's because the Arabs are lazy good-for-nothings who steal the UN money, according to Israelis of a right wing hue. (For which there is again no evidence at all). The plain fact is that it is rather hard for an occupied and exploited country to flourish economically. When Israel closes roads, delays traffic with roadblocks, denies the Palestinians an airport, drags its feet for years over permitting a Pal mobile phone network, bans Pal expatriates from the West Bank, lets its settlers routinely damage and destroy villagers' crops, etc., etc., it is hardly surprising that the economy is up against it. Israel deserves not one ounce of credit for any economic progress the Pals have made, it is against a backdrop of the occupiers doing everything they possibly can to thwart trade, business and prosperity. Netanyahu is such a barefaced liar and con man, does anyone still believe anything that comes out of his mouth?
Where is all the foreign aid going to? Only a few months ago, the Palestinians received $ 400 millions dollars from the US. I do not understand the status of refugees. Why are these people not integrated in the societies of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan etc? May be this aid from UNRWA has created such dependencies that are not motivating them or the countries they live in to integrate them into those societies. Jewish Refugees from Arab countries integrated well in Israel ( from Yemen, Morocco, Irak, Iran, Tunisia, Algeria, etc).
When has the economy of any occupied nation truly flourished? So Netanyahu lied to Congress. He lies to everyone about everything. I suspect he even lies to himself and believes it. The economy on the west bank has improved in recent years, but it is still far from thriving.
goes trotting around the world with all these endorsements from international institutions all claiming that the "institutions of statehood" were all in place for the establishment of the new state. The International Monetary Fund being one of them. So it starts to appear now that the facts and figures are incorrect. So now lets blame Bibi. How lame can poster Esther R be?
When international sanctions and boycotts are levied against Israel.
Checkpoints prevent people from arriving at work timely. Israeli land confiscations threaten Palestinian business. Arbitrary arrests and detention interfere with commerce. Curfews placed on an entire community for the crime of one person. There is no wonder the Palestinian economy is suffering. This has been going on for over fourty years. When will Israel implement the justice that Judaism strives to accomplish?
Howmany lies you will tell us MR.BIBI.We the people of world watching very closely .
We all know that the settlements are 'not the problem'. Its probably just Arabs being lazy, right? On a serious note - I hope that this information is fed into the detals of the peace that will be imposed on Israel - i.e. all of the settlements have to go.
Palestinians receive the highest level of foreign aid in the world--more than any other people has ever received. In addition to what they get from UNRWA, they receive aid from Arab nations, the EU, the US, Japan, Canada, and NGOs, among others, amounting to billions in recent years. If their economy isn't flourishing, someone needs to investigate where all that money is going. During the Arafat years, large sums of money "disappeared." The same may be happening now.
And as for the "disappearance" yes it disappeared out of sight of Israels grubby little paws. The monies were all accounted for by the IMF and it was invested so that Israel could not confiscate it.
You are wrong about Canada, who has cut off aid to the palestinians at the urging of Israel. For the last few years, the Harper government has decided that funding for Palestinians does not fit the criteria of "human rights". One of our ministers addressed Israelis bragging the Palestinians would not get a dime of our funding.
Canada has finally wised up to the fact that pal leaders are corrupt and violent and don't care about their people. Go Canada!
... because he rarely speaks to his neighbors, just contrives and condones how to take over their resources and territory, if it's good for the settlers...
brain once in a while. No one saying Spain, Greece, Portugal... because Israel does not occupy them. As for the Pals, they have to use Israeli airports and water ports. Taxes are collected by the Israeli... all the tourism money goes to Israel even when WB, E'Jlem and Gaza are not part of Israel.
I wish i could use Israeli airports, I'm forced to travel to Jordan to use their Airport. We're not allowed to build an airport, and we're not allowed to use theirs.
What a surprise!!!
and still this charlatan get elected..