Famous author Frederick Forsyth in his column in the
British Daily Express the other day, in the wake of the exhumation of Yasser Arafat and resultant finger-pointing at Israel: "So exactly how did Yasser Arafat get so rich?":
".... I have seen acres of breast-beating journalism about Palestinian misery but never an examination into where all the donated money has gone over the years. For this is certain: Arab donors and a generous non-Arab world have donated many billions to the Palestinian cause.
For example, since the founding of Israel in 1948 literally billions of pounds have been donated to help Gaza's people have a decent life.
If it had been invested shrewdly and well, Gaza today could be a mini-Monaco. It could have a deepwater freight port, a flourishing fishing port and a leisure harbor crammed with the yachts of wealthy visitors. It could have resort hotels on the sea and farms, ranches and orchards in the hinterland.
It has nothing of these. It is a failed state of poverty, misery and violence. So what happened to all that money?
A lot went on guns, explosives for bombs and material to build rockets to launch at Israel. But the bulk has certainly suffered the fate of most wealth in that neck of the woods.
It has simply been embezzled, not by Israelis but by Palestinians and above all by their leadership cadres.
The donations continue to flow in... and disappear."
(Hat tip: Bruce's MidEast Soundbites)
I have plenty of links tracing what Arafat did with the money.
ReplyDeleteThis link is from 2004 but that is of no matter
http://www.meforum.org/645/arafats-swiss-bank-account
Thanks, Shirlee!
DeleteIt would be interesting to compare the amount of money donated by various European governments to 1. the Palestinians, 2. the Philippines after the storm, and 3. Sardinia after their storm.
ReplyDeleteIndeed it would, Colin.
Delete