Sunday April 15, 2007

I've Been Thinking:

The Palestinian Minister of Finance, Salam Fayyad, just returned from a trip to Europe.
It was a very successful trip.

The Palestinian asked the European Union for 1.3 billion euros in order to avert a "humanitarian crisis" in 2007 - that is over 2 billion US dollars.
This past year the EU gave the Palestinians 700 million euros.
The US Congress has just approved sending $59 million to the Palestinians.

Add it up.
The International Monetary Fund estimates that the PA received 1.2 billion dollars in aid last year. That would make the Palestinians the largest per capita recipients of foreign aid in the world. $300 per person.
This year that total sum in aid will double.

The situation in the Palestinian Authority is certainly dire.
But the donors are not building jobs or industry or infrastructure.
The donors are just giving away money, more money and even more money.
Until Palestinians take pride in themselves and are able to earn their livelihoods they will continue to murder themselves, terrorize Israelis and kidnap journalists.

Sometimes, money just isn't enough.