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Sunday, June 2, 2013

Kerry's Plan A Dud With Palestinians

Nadene Goldfoot                                                               

The US Secretary of State, John Kerry, approached the Palestinian Authority (PA) with a new plan to boost their economy.  He offered to invest $4 billion in the private sector.    This plan was revealed last week at the world Economic Forum in Jordan.

Several Palestinian businessmen who attended the conference liked Kerry's economic plan and want  to meet with Israelis to talk about joint investments in Judea-Samaria.  Those who met with Israeli in the past few days are now being threatened and there  are calls out to boycott them and their companies by the mainline Palestinians.  Munib al-Masri, one of the wealthiest Palestinians in the world, has been condemned for meeting with Israelis before, during and after the conference.  He said that Abbas knew about his meetings.   Political activists against Israel from  Fatah and Hamas are also in on the boycotting and threats.

The Palestinians have rejected this plan which has resulted in threatening businessmen who want to work with Israeli counterparts.  They have condemned it thinking its a US attempt to bribe them into making political concessions to Israel. 

I lived in Haifa for 10 months in 1980.  It reminded me of Portland, Oregon in that it is a port city and is beautiful.  They even have a subway.  From my Ulpan, the school where I lived and took classes to learn  Hebrew,  I was able to have a nice walk to the beach on the Mediterranean Sea.  The Haifa Chamber of Commerce recently invited Palestinian businessmen from Jenin in Samaria to visit Haifa.  These visiting Palestinians are now targeted by the other Palestinians of the "anti-normalization" campaigners.  They are being very vocal and are growing so that the group now includes the Palestinian Writers' Union.

40% of the Palestinian economy today comes from donations.   You'd think that the chosen Prime Minister, Salam Fayyad, an economist would support the businessman, but he's not.  The fact of the matter is that the Muslim Brotherhood, who Hamas is a part of, does not want to see economic prosperity in the Palestinian cities.  They want their people to live in misery and frustration in order to keep alive the fight against Israel.  They've had all sorts of opportunities to live happily ever after and they always say "NO."  The Palestinian people are simply pawns in  the chess game to take Israel.

Resource: http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/3740/palestinians-threaten-businessmen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenin
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/26/john-kerry-plan-palestinian-economy

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