| Submit your comments on this article |
| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Palestinians Mount Violent Protest Over Lack of Paychecks |
| 2006-06-15 |
| Palestinian civil servants stormed the parliament building in the West Bank on Wednesday demanding back pay and chanting "We are hungry!" Fistfights broke out as protesters hurled plastic water bottles at legislators from Hamas, the militant group that controls parliament, forcing the speaker to flee the building. It was the second violent protest this week at parliament, in Ramallah, and underscored growing pressure on the Hamas government on several fronts. Much of the Western aid that had been used to run the Palestinian Authority has been withheld since Hamas took over the government after winning January elections. Many Muslim nations had pledged their support, but international banks, most tied to the American system, have refused to transfer money from other donors. So on Wednesday, the Hamas foreign minister, Mahmoud Zahar, crossed over into Gaza from Egypt carrying what Palestinian officials said was $20 million in cash in his suitcases. He was returning from a long trip to Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, China, Pakistan, Iran and Egypt. Hamas, responsible for many of the deadliest suicide attacks against Israel, has refused to renounce violence or recognize the Israeli state since it won control of parliament in January. Though a substantial sum, the $20 million is a fraction of $120 million the Palestinian Authority needs each month just for the salaries of its 165,000 employees, most of whom have not been paid for four months. Its current budget would require an additional $45 million for all costs other than salaries. A power struggle between Hamas and Fatah, the party it ousted from power, continues to worsen. About two dozen people have been killed in recent weeks in factional fighting, including a Hamas gunman in southern Gaza on Wednesday. The protesters at the parliament, which was also attacked Monday night along with two cabinet buildings, were reported largely to be loyal to Fatah. "We deplore and regret these incidents," Ismail Haniya, the prime minister and a top Hamas leader, said after the death of the gunman, The Associated Press reported. "The government is going to carry out its responsibilities along with the security branches in order to maintain law and order." To defuse the tensions, Mr. Haniya and Mahmoud Abbas, president of the Palestinian Authority and a member of Fatah, have agreed to a series of talks, which continued on Wednesday. Mr. Abbas, a moderate, has been pressing Hamas to accept even implicit recognition of Israel, a move aimed at freeing up foreign money and restarting peace talks with Israel. Barring that, Mr. Abbas has said he will schedule a referendum next month calling for a Palestinian state within pre-1967 borders, a proposal that polls indicate most Palestinians support. Hamas's leadership strongly opposes the referendum as illegal and an effort to undermine the party's election victory. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #9 RD well done |
| Posted by: mhw 2006-06-15 22:31 |
| #8 Palestinians Mount Violent Protest Over Lack of Paychecks mhw, I just recieved this in my e-mail, I hope this sheds some light on the financial crisis in Paleostine. ___________ Dear Friend, I am MRS. SUHA ARAFAT, the wife of late YASSER ARAFAT,the Palestinian leader who died recently in Paris. Since his death and even prior to the announcement, I have been thrown into a state of antagonism, confusion, humiliation, frustration and hopelessness by the present leadership of the Palestinian Liberation Organization and the new Prime Minister. I have even been subjected to physical and psychological torture. As a widow that is so traumatized, I have lost confidence with everybody in the country at the moment.You view this website:http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3965541.stm. You must have heard over the media reports and the Internet on the discovery of some fund in my husband secret bank account and companies and the allegations of some huge sums of money deposited by my husband in my name of which I have refuses to disclose or give up to the corrupt Palestine Government. In fact the total sum allegedly discovered by the Government so far is in the tune of about $6.5 Billion Dollars. And they are not relenting on their effort to make me poor for life. As you know, the Muslem community has no regards for woman, more importantly when the woman is from a Christian background, hence my desire for a foreign assistance. I have deposited the sum of Fourty-Three million dollars with a Diplomatic Security firm in Europe whose name is withheld for now until we open proper and full communication. I shall be grateful if you could receive this fund into your bank account for safe keeping and any Investment opportunity. This arrangement should be known to you and I alone and all our correspondence should be strictly on email alone because our government has tapped all my lines and are monitoring all my moves. In view of the above,if you are willing to assist for our mutual benefits, we will have to negotiate on your Percentage share of the $43,000,000.00 that will be kept in your possession for a while and invested in your name for my trust pending when my Daughter,Zahwa,will come off age and take full responsibility of her Family Estate/inheritance. Please note that this is a golden opportunity that comes once in life time and more so, if you are honest, I am going to entrust more funds in your care as this is one of the legacy we keep for our children. In case you don't accept please do not let me out to the security and international media as I am giving you this information in total trust and confidence I will greatly appreciate if you accept my proposal in good faith. Please expedite action. And you can reach me anytime on my private email (XXsuhafamily1960@XXaim.comXX) Yours sincerely, Mrs.Suha Arafat [gosh the poor poor lady and Paleoswinians] |
| Posted by: RD 2006-06-15 20:42 |
| #7 165,000? So there is a civil servant for roughly every 23 people (West Bank and Gaza). Exactly what are these people doing? Everyone read the Airport story? They would go find work in another secto but who in their right mind would invest in Gaza or West bank? Bottom line is they made there own mess now they must clean it up. |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2006-06-15 17:13 |
| #6 You need jobs that produce something the MARKETPLACE WANTS. |
| Posted by: 3dc 2006-06-15 16:56 |
| #5 They Paleos still have (so I've been told) access to a legacy account (or accounts) of some sort from the Arafat years. It supposedly has about a billion $. The details about how this amount was amassed and who has control over the account(s)are murky. However, the total backpay owed Paleo employees is already over $200M or so and increasing about $50 to $100M or so each month even with the funds that Hamas is able to weedle or extort out of the would be caliphate and the funds voluntarily given up by clueless or seditious infidels. |
| Posted by: mhw 2006-06-15 16:55 |
| #4 If the Paleos are bailed out, they will never learn about actions===>consequences. It is vital that they sort this one out themselves. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2006-06-15 15:39 |
| #3 You can't eat plutonium either. But that has been the national passtime in North Korea for the last 7 years. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2006-06-15 15:38 |
| #2 "We are hungry!" What, you can't eat guns, bullets, and bombs? What a shocker. Guess you'd better get busy w-o-r-k-i-n-g to produce something other than the above. (Yeah, I know "work" is a 4-letter word to these worthless clowns. Tough.) |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2006-06-15 15:31 |
| #1 So what is your favorite brand of kind of popcorn? |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2006-06-15 15:20 |