You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Israel-Palestine
Gaza industrial zone to close
2004-06-10
An industrial park in northern Gaza that provides jobs for more than 4,000 Palestinians is to close. The Roosevelt Roads Erez industrial zone will be shut down as part of Israel’s plan to withdraw from the Gaza Strip.
Be very careful what you wish for ...
Troops will no longer provide security in an area that has been targeted by Palestinian militants. No closure date was given in the announcement, which follows the Israeli government’s approval of a plan to pull troops and settlers out of Gaza. The Palestinian Minister for Labour, Ghassan Khatib, condemned the planned closure as "collective punishment".
Completely unlike the mass murdering bombers.
The Erez zone had been a model of economic co-operation between Israel and the Palestinians. Israeli businesses, mainly textile factories, had benefited from cheap labour while Palestinians had enjoyed stable employment. The factories will be moved to southern Israel and owners compensated.
Time for the Palestinians to discover what is involved in actually creating nonexplosive jobs.

’Bad message’
Following the announcement, many Palestinian workers are fearful for the future. "I was expecting this decision since they started talking about disengagement but it is another bad message to be received these days," Radwan Abu Alaish, a mechanic who works in the industrial zone told the Associated Press news agency.
Still happy that you attended all of those "Israel out of Gaza now!" rallies Arafat organized for you, Radwan?
Unemployment stands at 40-60% in Gaza. The Palestinian minister for labour, said that any move to close the park should be co-ordinated with the Palestinian authority.
Why should Israel coordinate anything with their avowed enemy?
He added that Palestinians would need international help to set up new jobs in Gaza.
Just as donor fatigue is peaking. Oh, the humanity!

Struggle
Critics have argued the decision may mean the end of the whole concept of economic co-operation between Israel and Palestine.
In other late breaking news, Pope and bear. Tape at 11:00.
"This is a classic lose-lose situation," Arie Aron, economics professor at Ben Gurion University told AP.
Lose-lose = Palestinians lose their livelyhoods and Israel loses a significant threat source.
"It is the first sign of a of a much larger split between the two economies". He warned that while jobs would be created for poor Israelis the factories would struggle to adapt to paying higher wages.
Stop, stop! You’re ripping Sharon’s heart out. It’s about time that the Palestinians got an up close and personal look at exactly what Arafat has been "struggling" to create for his people. Grinding poverty, dead-end politics and a nation without resources or industry. Now there’s a roadmap for success!
Posted by:Zenster

#13  The Palestinian Minister for Labour, Ghassan Khatib, condemned the planned closure as "collective punishment".

No, it's called.......CONSEQUENCES!!!!!

Look into it.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-06-10 10:27:42 PM  

#12  This truley is devastating for the Palestinians. No more money for killing Jews, now they must abandon the 'struggle' for a new one: making a damn living, raising your damn kids and being responsible for once for your own actions and the actions of your community.

You think its hard for the Palestians to find suicide bombers, try finding someone willing to invest in a business in Gaza now.

Time to use your bootstraps.
Posted by: badanov   2004-06-10 10:00:26 PM  

#11  Unemployment stands at 40-60% in Gaza.

Yeah that "Palestinian minister of labour" sounds like he's doing one helluva job.
Posted by: tu3031   2004-06-10 9:33:38 PM  

#10  #2
A good observation and you are not even an economics professor at Ben Gurion University, makes you wonder what kind of people they hire.

Believe it or not many people like to work in Israel, Many Filipinos after their contract expired prefer to stay in Israel illegally than to go back to the Philippines.

Posted by: Lizzel   2004-06-10 5:56:22 PM  

#9  AP, actually I was thinking about people being escorted out of Israel into the Gaza Strip.
Posted by: RWV   2004-06-10 3:53:24 PM  

#8  Critics have argued the decision may mean the end of the whole concept of economic co-operation between Israel and Palestine.

Could someone please refresh my memory? Just where is Palestine? I found it on an old National Geographic map, but that was from 1940. I looked it up in an encyclopedia, but only found something about ancient Rome.....


Critics have argued the decision may mean the end of the whole concept of economic co-operation between Israel and Palestine.

Or maybe just the whole concept of economic co-operation as the Palestinian Arabs think it should be. Perhaps they should look to a country like Jordan, whose workers travel back and forth daily to work in Israel for a honest wage. Of course that would require that the pals recognize Israel's right to exist, and disavow any of that talk about pushing the Jews into the sea...
Posted by: Dripping Sarcasm   2004-06-10 3:38:03 PM  

#7  RWV---Nobody but a jihadi and a maroon would go to Gaza. It is a sediment trap.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-06-10 3:26:52 PM  

#6  Maybe Arafat can bring in some Zimbabwean consultants to jump start his economy. I suspect that once the wall goes up that Israel will start to expel ALL "Palestinians" from Israel. It will be interesting to see if Arafat tries to control his borders to prevent people from coming in.
Posted by: RWV   2004-06-10 3:07:59 PM  

#5  "Sha-na-na-na, sha-na-na-na-na (BA-doom)..."
Posted by: mojo   2004-06-10 1:19:31 PM  

#4  Frank---LOL!

Timing timing timing
Location location location

So long, suckers, see ya in the funnypapers...
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-06-10 12:04:15 PM  

#3  what does "Journeyman Car Swarmer" pay?
Posted by: Frank G   2004-06-10 11:09:17 AM  

#2  i would say the higher wages would def outwiegh the increased security costs doing business in gaza..
Posted by: Dan   2004-06-10 11:00:41 AM  

#1   Mr.Khatib,I suggest you ask Yasser to pony-up some of that cash he has squireled away
Posted by: Raptor   2004-06-10 8:15:56 AM  

00:00