The Sharon government has several times encouraged terrorism in ways that seem to me unworthy of an ally (such as releasing 429 terrorists in exchange for 1 hostage and 3 corpses; or rewarding violence with an unprecedented act of self-ethnic cleansing in Gaza), and it is doing so again.
In what the United Nations Development Programme says "is believed to be the first donation from the Government of Israel to a UN agency for an economic development project in the Palestinian territories," the programme announced today that the Israeli government has provided US$25 million for a redevelopment project in Gaza. And what might this be for? For "the clearance and rehabilitation of sites once occupied by the evacuated Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip." I'll let the UNDP explain the details:
UNDP was asked to undertake the rehabilitation project by the Government of Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the Office of the Special Envoy for the Quartet, James Wolfensohn. With more than 1.2 million tons of debris and rubble to be cleared and recycled, the project will cost US $24.7 million, which will be provided by the Government of Israel. It will take an estimated 18 months to complete, and will employ several hundred Palestinian workers. … The concrete and metal debris cleared from the site will be milled and recycled for use as road paving and building materials.
Palestinians burning a Gaza synagogue in September 2005. | |
Translated from bureaucratese, this says that the Israeli taxpayer will be paying "several hundred Palestinian workers" to finish razing the synagogues, greenhouses, and perhaps other structures in Gaza that Palestinian looters destroyed in September.
Comment: This unique act of self-debasement may well inspire more violence against Israel and its allies. (December 22, 2005)
Additional news: Aaron Klein of WorldNetDaily.com reports that Palestinians are now are asking the expelled farmers for advice on how to raise insect-free vegetables. They are doing so via the United States Agency for International Development, seeking funds to hire former Jewish Gaza greenhouse owners as consultants. Asked if she would serve as a consultant, one expelled Gaza resident, Anita Tucker, replied "Probably not." Another, Eitan Hederi, indicated he has been asked by U.S. AID to consult and said, "I am still thinking about it. It's a very difficult decision."
