Posted on 08/18/2005 11:07:29 AM PDT by SJackson
NEW YORK (AP) _ In the days leading up to Israel's pullout from the Gaza Strip, American Jewish philanthropists donated some $14 million to ensure Israeli greenhouses would pass into Palestinian hands unharmed, one of the donors said.
While the Israeli government has paid for the land and buildings settlers are leaving behind, the American donation is meant to purchase the equipment that keeps the greenhouses running. The move could preserve some 3,500 Palestinian jobs, as well as one of the region's main sources of export income.
The donors included billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman, who publishes the New York Daily News, and Lester Crown, whose family owns General Dynamics, Zuckerman told The New York Times for Thursday editions.
Zuckerman, who once headed the Soviet Jewish Zionist Forum and has often criticized the Palestinian Authority, was hesitant at first, he said.
(Excerpt) Read more at newsday.com ...
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While this is a nice gesture, which is why the Arabs didn't think of it, Wolfensohn has no business participating.
Incredibly generous. It'll be interesting to see if the Palestinians let the greenhouses deteriorate--or even destroy them.
What to do if the new inquilines torn the place to the ground? The $14 million would be lost forever and the donors are unable to do anything to prevent such an event from happening.
The terrorists organizations and the corrupt PA will destroy the business with incessant demands for 'protection' and handouts.
I've read several articles indicating the crops were tended and left for, whoever. Wonder if they get to market. My guess, this much glass to break will be too great a temptation unless control is given to relatively high level terrorist honchos.
It would be nice if the Arab world would learn to make the desert grow (like the Israelis) instead of promoting conspiracy theories that blame the Israelis for creating desert.
The palis will probably burn down everything built by the Jews as unclean and a reminder of the evil Zionist occupation. Zuckerman and co. just wasted their money.
This demonstrates a great deal of trust that the intentions for the money will be honored.
I have NO doubt that this greenhouse will be destroyed or used to grow drug plants to finance terrorism or made into a bomb making area...
I have seen NO interest by the Palestinians to have to do WORK to support themselves in a civilized way.
Just like this pullout----good intentions, probably bad results...
I presume the funds are going to the current owners of the greenhouses. Whether the new owners are even obligated to repay, who knows, but I'd suspect everyone involved knows they'll never see this money again.
If you were to live a thousand years, you wouldn't see a similar gesture from any enemy of the Jews.
What is it about so many Jews that they are so merciful to those who want us dead?
If it's a Jewish gene, I'm a mutant.
I'd donate to purchase salt to sow any fields left behind.
Palestinians work in Israeli farms all the time. Palestinian labor is kind of like Mexican labor over here.
"and Lester Crown, whose family owns General Dynamics"
LOL. Considering that Israeli F-16s will be blowing the greenhouses apart after they're converted to bomb and rocket making facilities...
(I know that GD no longer makes the F-16, but it's ironic anyway)
As, I suspect, does everyone else.
Think about it, you've got a $100 million plus agricultural industry operating in Gaza, employing 3,000 to 4,000 palestinians, with the obvious potential to employ more to replace the expelled Jews. And no one, anywhere in the world, was willing to step up and make an investment of what is essentially chump change in the business world. They had to rely on a couple of Jewish philanthropists. Not exactly a vote of confidence.
There is nothing so blind as blind faith.
With all due respect, perhaps they are living their faith.
Lets see what happens. The usual attitude of Muslims is that stupid kufr (non-Muslims) owe them things anyway and there is zero gratitude. More likely they smell weakness.
Muhammadan attitude is that the kufr is only suitable to be a dhimmi who pays the Jizya tax. Being charitable to Muslims is taken to be a tax you owe them anyway.
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