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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan | ||
| Gaza stiffed as investors meet | ||
| 2008-05-23 | ||
| Geez, I wonder why? BETHLEHEM, West Bank - Gaza's business people were the poor relations at a Palestinian investors' conference on Thursday, chasing backers but struggling to find any willing to risk their capital before a yearlong blockade of the Hamas-ruled territory is lifted. Psssst...wanna buy a rocket? Need a tunnel dug? Used Egyptian motorcycles? More than 100 conference participants, or almost one in 10, came from Gaza. An entire session was dedicated to the territory which has been virtually cut off from the world since the Islamic militant group Hamas seized control by force last June. Here is what we have to offer................ Okay. How about lunch? However, the big money — hundreds of millions of dollars from Qatar and Saudi Arabia — passed them by. Yes, we love our Pali brothers...but not in that way. "The only hope we have comes after the lifting of the embargo," said Faisal Shawwa, who has resorted to smuggling raw materials for his pharmaceuticals factory through tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border. The Gaza Tunnel Authority. Somebody's tax dollars at work...
Geez, I wonder what would happen if they stopped firing rockets? The moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank says it won't negotiate with its Hamas rivals until they step aside, but can't be seen as ignoring the 1.4 million residents of the impoverished territory. Lip service, gentlemen! We need more lip service! Harrrumph harrrumph harrumph harrrumph.... The international community supports the boycott of Hamas, but has voiced growing concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza. Despite the grim prospects, the Gazans were invited to the conference and even asked to present projects. Hmmmmmm...The Aerodynamic Properties of Sewer Pipe. That looks interesting. The conference has not yielded results, said Azzam Shawwa, general director of the Al Quds Bank in Cairo. "All we heard here so far is emotional talk about Gaza and solidarity with Gaza and investment with Gaza," Shawa said. "There has been nothing concrete." Ya don't understand, Azzam. That is their business.
...and a new invention, a toilet you can flush money into. Abushahla said that if the situation gets worse, he might return to Britain, where he spent much of his adult life. I'm sure they're rolling out the red carpet as we speak... Many Gaza business people have already emigrated, said Faisal Shawwa, who heads an 180-member association of Gaza companies with assets of more than $1 million. Fifteen members have left and many others would follow if they could sell their assets, said Shawwa, whose construction companies stand idle. Well. So much for Resistance™... Earlier, the World Bank and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, a U.S. government agency, presented plans to offer political risk insurance to Palestinian businesses, in hopes of encouraging foreign investment. Oh, hey. What a great idea... | ||
| Posted by:tu3031 |
| #8 Political risk insurance will be a disguised subsidy. If it wasn't the premium would be bigger than the amount covered. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2008-05-23 22:04 |
| #7 DEAR HONORED HAMAS OFFICIAL, I AM A REPRESENTATIVE OF A PRINCE OF NIGERIA AND AM INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN YOUR REGION. I HAVE ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF FUNDS TO INVEST IN A WORTHWHILE BUSINESS, SUCH AS HIGH TECH GREENHOUSES. UNFORTUNATELY, I AM EXPERIENCING SOME DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY MOVING MONEY OUT OT MY COUNTRY. IF YOU COULD ASSIST WITH CERTAIN EXCHANGE FEES ... |
| Posted by: Barrister Enver Snolurong 2008-05-23 18:32 |
| #6 Only slightly more risky than investing in Venezuela or Zimbabwe. (Or the US if Maxine Waters ever becomes president). |
| Posted by: DMFD 2008-05-23 18:28 |
| #5 Being stiffed implies that they were passed over for something that they deserved. Not the case here. |
| Posted by: gorb 2008-05-23 15:25 |
| #4 i said the other day that investing in Ramallah wouldnt necessarily be insane. Investing in Gaza is a whole nother story. |
| Posted by: liberalhawk 2008-05-23 14:35 |
| #3 They've certainly invested heavily in detonator cap stocks... |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2008-05-23 13:25 |
| #2 Many Gaza business people have already emigrated, said Faisal Shawwa, who heads an 180-member association of Gaza companies with assets of more than $1 million. "Get yer large cap Gaza stocks right here!" |
| Posted by: Raj 2008-05-23 13:11 |
| #1 Sympathy meter? Or Apathy meter. Not that it matters, they're both busted anyway. |
| Posted by: Seafarious 2008-05-23 12:37 |