What Did the Palestinians Do with Their "Marshall Plan"?
Ben-Dror Yamini Maariv-Hebrew, 5 Jan 06

The Palestinians have bought themselves a place of honor on the list of
unfortunates in the world. A well-oiled public relations campaign has turned
them into a nation of victims. Misery pays. One of the countries hated by
the Palestinians the most, the United States, has since 1993 helped them
more than any other nation in the world, according to World Bank figures.
From 1994 to 2004, the U.S. provided the Palestinians with $1.3 billion, the
EU $1.1 billion, and Japan $530 million. In addition to direct aid, the U.S.
is also the largest contributor to UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian
refugees.

In 1992, the Palestinian per capita GDP was $2,683 per person. If there had
not been terror, the Palestinian economy could have grown during the 1990s
into one of the leaders in the Middle East. The money was used for three
major purposes: perpetuation of the refugees as victims, purchase of weapons
and explosives, and corruption. Opportunities to achieve independence and
prosperity were rejected for the ultimate goal: the removal of Israel from
the map.

In relation to their numbers, the Palestinians have received more aid than
provided by the Marshall Plan after World War II. Since the Oslo agreements,
the Palestinians in the territories have received $5.5 billion, or $1,300
per person. By comparison, in the Marshall plan, each European enjoyed only
$273 (in today's numbers). Above all, the guilt lies with those who gave
these huge sums without having the Palestinians undergo a period of recovery
from their futile dreams of the destruction of Israel. The result is,
primarily, the continued destruction of Palestinian society.