Issue: Corruption and Financial Aid

How to follow up charges of widespread corruption?

If there is widespread corruption, then the letters by the ‘foot soldier’ in March claimed not the settlers would have swimming pools; rather a closer look should be made at those rich Arabs with their own swimming pools and bathrooms in marble and equipped with whirlpools. The letters hinted as well that money meant for development projects has flown to secret accounts in Switzerland.

Thomas L. Friedman repeats the same charge in his article entitled: “Tell the players the truth” in International Herald Tribune, April 25, 2002:

“Someone should tell the European fools who now rush to protect Arafat that when this intifada started it was directed partly at his corrupt leadership, but that he redirected it all onto Israel (with Sharon’s help), decimating both the Palestinian economy and the very Israeli peace camp that is the only force that can deliver Palestinians a state.”

In the German newspaper, Sueddeutsche (25.4.2002), there are quotes taken from statements made by Abdallah Frangi, leader of the general delegation of Palestinians. He is cited as saying that both the German development and EU aid for 2,8 Million Palestinians amounts to having received 242,6 Million Euro in financial aid and 86,7 Million Euro in technical co-operation. He emphasizes that the money never went directly to the Palestinian Authority, but directly to the companies with most of them being German ones. They received only funds from Berlin once they had realized what they had set out to achieve. He denies the existence of secret accounts of the Palestinian Authority existing in Switzerland, as has been claimed a few months ago.

Financial aid to Israel / relationship to the United States ‘forever’

A lot of money has been poured into the region, and while the Israeli side is quick to point out that at the top of Arafat’s aides there was widespread corruption, they seem to ignore that Israel itself is like the patient being fed artificially by huge sums of money being poured yearly into the country.

If prevailing ideology tending in the direction of privatization has it, then Israel itself is like a company unable to survive on its own. It needs assistance from the United States “forever”. Sharon insisted that this word is included in the protocol after his talks with Powell had been completed in April. Officially he meant that the ties between Israel and the United States ought to last ‘forever’.

Opening / closing account:

Political calculations express themselves in certain terms that reflect also financial involvements. Desire for revenge is indicated verbally by claiming: “there is still an open account to be settled”. A vicious backlash of unsettled accounts can always be expected since in a money driven global economy nothing much else counts.

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