Posted on 02/15/2002 8:26:32 AM PST by veronica
An Israeli official said on Thursday that mounting financial debt could lead to the collapse of the Palestinian Authority, which has spent more than $1 billion annually since the start of the intifada in September 2000.
IDF Lt. Col. Yitzhak Gurevitch, the economic head for the territories' government coordinator, said the PA overspends its monthly budget by $13 million. It spends $90 million a month, while taking in $77 million a month ($55 million from donor countries and $22 million from taxes). The monthly deficit of $13 million is piled onto previous debts.
Gurevitch said three factors could lead to a PA economic collapse: If Israel refuses to transfer money owed to the PA that is currently frozen; if donor countries cease financial assistance; and if banks refuse to grant further credit.
In recent years, the PA has been largely funded by the European Union and increasingly by Arab/Islamic states as a sign of solidarity for the violent Palestinian intifada. The EU and Saudi Arabia have been covering the large payroll for PA civil servants, while the Saudis and now reportedly Iran are pitching in to pay the salaries of the huge contingent of Palestinian security personnel.
Meanwhile, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been competing with the Saudis and others to see who can better compensate the families of Palestinians "martyrs" and those injured in the fighting against Israel.
Due to the PA's known financial difficulties, the US was upset over the recent discovery that the PA had sunk at least $15 million into the Karine A arms smuggling operation. It turns out that $10 million of that amount may have come from Saudi sources.
Every single Palestinian should have a luxury Condo with a swimming pool.
If this report does not wake up people to the fact that Assafat and his henchmen are STEALING money and spending it on themselves nothing will.
I mean look at the pictures of the houses over there. The place is a DUMP. No running water, no jobs nothing of civilization over there.
The thing that ticks me of the most is that Israel gets ALL, ALL the blame for the plight of the Palestinian people.
Wake up America!! Assafat and the other Arab nations want the Palestinians in complete poverty, so they hang them around the neck of Israel
90 million!! 90 million!!
For months I have been saying that the super rich Saudies and the super rich Saddam could wipe out poverty in the Arab world if they didn't finance terrorism.
Now we find out that I have been correct and that the Euro Trash so upset with the Evil Axis comments by President Bush are paying for the terrorism in the Palestinian areas!
Arafatty needs $90 million per month to mastermind his terrorism. Lop that off and he and PLA his terrorists will just fade like the Chesire Cat!
Take out Saddam, Iran and then the Saudis and terrorism from these Islamic radicals will fade into the ash heap of history! Terrorism is an expensive capital venture.
When you're not accountable to anyone, it's fun to just write checks.
And when the source is oil, it's a perpetual cash cow.
With friends like this...
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