Palestinians Are Being Robbed by Israel- Amira Hass

[Tom Joad]

by Amira Hass February 28, 2006 Ha'aretz
http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=107&ItemID=9820

It is evidently difficult to scrub off the sticker that is glued onto the front window. That's why when a new car from Germany or South Korea or the United States rolls onto the packed streets of Gaza or Ramallah, it generally has the big label with thick, red Hebrew letters forming the word "Checked" stuck on its windshield for several months.

The label is a mark of the special customs and security checks conducted at the Israeli seaports of Ashdod or Haifa, which serve as the main entrances for most of the foreign goods bound for the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians import all sorts of products: water pumps from Sweden, bulldozers and boxes of corn flakes from the United States, plastic toys from China, washing machines from France and cheese from Denmark - and virtually all of them reach their destinations only after they've been through Israeli port authorities and Israeli security checks.

At the ports, Palestinian importers are required to pay the Israeli authorities the value-added tax of 17%, as well as whatever custom taxes are due on goods that come in on their way to the West Bank or Gaza. These transactions (along with direct Palestinian transactions with Israeli firms and merchants) last year yielded revenues of $711 million.

But whose revenues are they?

To judge by the actions of the Israeli Cabinet on Sunday, the money belongs to Israel. The Cabinet announced that it was going to withhold Palestinian tax and customs revenues, at least for the moment, as a response to Hamas' electoral victory. Until the money is released - if it is released - the Israeli treasury will earn the interest.
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[Idioteque]

1. President Carter was talking about this issue...

...he thinks that while the money shouldn't go to Hamas, it must somehow be spent on the Palestinian people, as it is their money. I would say I agree.

[Tom Joad]

3. It should go to their elected govt.

If Kerry were in the white house, i don't think anyone would want u.s. tax money going to the Democratic Party (God knows we don't want tax money going to the Repukes). That money does however belong with the elected govt, to disburse on keeping the govt services running. Withholding that money could not be more idiotic. As Jimmy Carter agrees.

Some, incredibly, have argued, that since Arab countries are rich, they can give that money to Palestinians. Some strange logic. Heh, If i were a mugger maybe i can use that one "Hey, you got rich cousins, why can't i take that money in your pocket?"

[AlamoDemoc]

2. Execellent Article! Thanks Tom Joad

[rfkrfk]

4. this is laughable

Palistinians leadership can't even trust ordinary people to collect taxes,
so the leadership take their cut of the graft from the enemy

[Tom Joad]

5. rf, you are ignorant of the situation, read the article

You may not know this, but since Palestinians do not have their own state, a situation denied them by the occupiers, they have no choice but to let Israel collect these taxes at ports that Israel controls. If Palestinians had their own State, things would be different.

The Israelis signed the Oslo accords and are bound by it to give the Palestinians their money.

Please educate yourself about what is going on. This brutal military occupation is subsidized by your tax dollars.

[rfkrfk]

6. I just don't take things at face value

I know what their claims are.
I just don't believe them.
This is my guess,at to what the real story is,
with that said, I have no special knowledge of this situation.

...........................
consider the position of the Palis' stealership.
It is always easier to take money from outsiders,
than it is to steal it from your own people.

{why is that?]

if the tax was collected the normal way, local tax/duty collectors
would take their cut by allowing things in, illegally.

the 'Israeli tax collection arrangement',
cuts the low level thieves, out of the food chain.

naturally, Arafat is going to say,
the Israelis twisted my arms.

edited for typo

[Tom Joad]

7. I should point out that the author of this particular article is

a Jewish Israeli journalist. Still another reason to read it if you ever get a chance.
You might also want to check out Jimmy Carter's statements on this issue.

Just so you know. Arafat is not going to say anything. He has been dead since Nov. 2004
Obviously, you are right. You have no special knowledge of the situation.