Stop it, wolfie!
Financial wizard and former World Bank President James Wolfensohn is stepping down as a special envoy to the Palesitnian Authority. He has words of warning
International envoy James Wolfensohn, in his final report to Middle East mediators after stepping down, sharply questioned the decision of Western powers to cut off aid to the Hamas-led Palestinian government.
Having spent more than $1 billion a year on assistance to the Palestinians, much of it to build government institutions and an economy needed to create a “viable Palestinian state,” the report asked: “Will we now simply abandon these goals?”
Hold on.
$1 billion a year has gotten us exactly what?
Perhaps that last paragraph (and report) needs to be rephrased to something like:
Despite having spent more than $1 billion a year on assistance to the Palestinians they are no closer to building government institutions and an economy needed to create a “viable Palestinian state,” the report asked: “Will we continue throwing good many after bad?”
Wolfensohn is treated as some sort of expert about the Palestinian economy. He, of course, donated a substantial sum of his own money to the PA, only to see it go for naught. At another point he said that Israel wasn’t doing enough to promote the PA even after withdrawing from Gaza. Israel eventuall opened the Rafah crossing only to see terrorists enter Gaza from Egypt and Wolfensohn said nothing.
He is not an advocate for Palestinian viability as much as he’s an advocate for sending more money to the PA regardless of the result. Perhaps its because he doesn’t wish to be the only loser who made a bad investment in the Palestinians. But if the money hasn’t worked until now, it’s hard to see how it will work in the future.
In another article about Wolfensohn’s retirement we read
The United States considers Hamas a terrorist group and refuses to help it until it recognizes Israel, renounces violence and agrees to respect agreements struck by the previous Palestinian government.
Again perhaps the paragraph would be more accurate if it were rewritten The United States refuses to help Hamas because it is a terrorist group that promotes violence against Israel and refuses to respect agreements struck by the previous Palestinian government.
It is not simply the judgment of the United States that Hamas is a terrorist organization, Hamas fits the definition of one. The only way to finesse that inconvenient fact is to portray it as a political judgment. So that’s what AFP and other news organizations do.
Technorati tags: James Wolfensohn, Hamas, Israel.
Crossposted on Israpundit and Soccer Dad.
