Anti-Israel 'celebration' at the U.N.

The United Nations is currently marking the international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people, on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the UN's decision to approve the partition plan. For two days, the UN will hold blatantly anti-Israel events, including movies comparing Israel to the Nazis, and exhibits on the Israeli occupation and Palestinian suffering.

The climax will come in the form of a marathon of discussions, which got underway Monday and will culminate with six anti-Israel resolutions. These include ones calling for the Golan's return to Syria and for the division of Jerusalem. Israel normally ignores the annual solidarity day, yet this time officials decided to issue a harsh condemnation in light of the large volume of events and the fact that they are taking place while Israel and the Palestinians are engaged in negotiations. In a speech to be delivered Tuesday evening by Ambassador Gabriella Shalev, she is expected to condemn the UN's one-sided attitude. In the speech, Shalev will be pointing out that the UN does not have a day of solidarity with the rights of Israelis.

as reported by Dateline Israel

Palestinian Christians live in constant fear

You think only Israelis suffer from the terror of Hamas and other jihadists? Think again.

Presenting the "silent sufferers" - the Palestinian Christian minority.

There is no free press in Gaza. Outside reporters, whether Israeli or foreign, cannot move about freely and pursue such stories. Foreign reporters in particular need extensive handlers, as they do not know the local language, the local geography or the local leaders. It is much easier to stay in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem and rewrite press statements about the visit of the latest foreign dignitary.

Even if the reporters came, what would they be told? It is well known that Christian Palestinians who have been subject to firebombings, seizures of homes and businesses, assaults and death threats still tell foreign visitors that they have excellent relations with their Muslim neighbours. After the foreigners go home, these Christians must remain, and are loath to give any reason for jihadist extremists to think that they are stirring up trouble.

And so it goes -- news trickles out about one outrage or another, but it gets lost if it gets noticed at all. Meanwhile, Christians in Gaza and the West Bank try to live quietly, never knowing whether a newspaper in Denmark or a papal speech in Germany or nothing in particular might be the pretext for violence coming to their doors.

It is an awful way to live. It is more awful still that so few know, or care about it.

Read the full piece here.

Palestinians - the second largest importer of Israeli goods after U.S.

Here are some economic implications for both Israel and Palestinians if total blockade on Gaza becomes a fact:

* In 2006, total Israeli exports to the 60 million or so residents of France stood at slightly more than $1 billion. Israeli exports to the same amount of people in Italy stood at just below $1 billion.

* But total exports to both of these countries, which rank among the eight richest countries in the world, are equal to Israel's exports to the 3.5 million people of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. This is more than 6 percent of all Israeli exports, excluding diamonds. Despite all the intifadas, the Palestinian Authority is the second biggest customer of Israeli exports, after the United States.

If the blockade becomes permanent policy, Israel will lose a large part of its "captive market" - a stock phrase which in this case literally describes Gaza. "Israel benefited from its relations with the Palestinians," says Dan Catarivas, head of the foreign commerce branch of the Manufacturers Association and a former senior official in the finance and industry ministries. "And at the end of the day, it will lose if these ties are cut."

Whatever the 1.5 million people in Gaza need to live comes to them from Israel - from milk products to diapers, from medicine to cement. Even the humanitarian aid from international organizations is bought almost entirely from Israeli companies. Israeli firms also earn money as middlemen. Gas for cars is bought in Gaza via an Israeli intermediary at a tidy fee. About 5 percent of all freight that passes through the Ashdod port is earmarked for Gaza. This is to say nothing of the customs fees Israel is supposed to collect for the Palestinian Authority as part of the Paris Agreement signed in the 1990s, when everyone believed in a future of cooperation between Israel and the Palestinians. This money represents hundreds of millions of dollars that Israel put aside so it could eventually serve as a whip against the Palestinians.

An estimate by the Palestine International Business Forum shows that cutting off economic ties between Israel and the Palestinians would bring down the standard of living in the PA by one-third. Income per capita would fall to $500, the lowest in the Arab world, even lower than Sudan or Yemen.

Israel, according to this research, would lose around $2 billion per year. Some 76,000 jobs would be lost. Catarivas does not know whether these data are correct, but it is clear to him that Israel will be hurt. To his regret, he does not think that anyone really cares about this damage. "The system will adapt in the long run," Catarivas says. "Economic considerations will not have the upper hand over diplomatic considerations."

based on a report by Meron Rapoprt, Haaretz Correspondent

OVER 60% OF GAZA CITIZENS BELOW THE POVERTY LINE

"The average wage in the Gaza Strip is NIS 1,690 ($419) a month for a
full time position (NIS 76 per day) (roughly $18.85), compared to an
average wage of NIS 7,920 (roughly $1,964) paid in Israel (NIS 360 -
roughly $89 - per day, including part time workers)." (Ynet News,
10/17/07) The data was collected in the Palestinian Authority by the
New Family organization.

The data also showed, that the average monthly wage among
Palestinians in the West Bank is NIS 1,720 (roughly $426) a month.
206,000 Palestinians are unemployed - a total of 23.6% of
Palestinians from the territories who are part of the workforce
(workers and job seekers). According to the study, 63.1% of Gaza
residents live below the UN poverty line.

The question that arises is, "Where do the hundreds of millions of
dollars in international support to the Palestinians go?" Surely if
they went to the poor, the situation would be different! But we all
know where the money goes... it's just that no one wants to say it
out loud for the fear it will then have to be acknowledged and acted
on. Interestingly enough, yesterday, the trial of the Holy Land
Foundation ended in a mistrial, as the jurors were not able to reach
a unanimous verdict for the members of this organization, suspected
of financing terrorist organizations.