THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION REQUEST FOR 200 MILLION DOLLARS IN EMERGENCY AID TO THE PA IN ADDITION TO THE 150 MILLION ALREADY REQUESTED SHOULD NOT BE APPROVED IN A KNEE-JERK MANNER.
SADLY, DESPITE THE WONDERFUL STATEMENTS OF SEC OF STATE RICE, WE SEE NO COMMITMENT BY THE PA TO DISARM TERRORIST GROUPS AT THIS TIME.
IF ONE PERUSES THE ISRAELI PRESS WE CONTINUE TO SEE ATTEMPTS, ALBEIT UNSUCCESSFUL, TO ATTACK THE CIVILIAN POPULATION OF ISRAEL ON A DAILY BASIS. ONLY SHARP POLICE AND IDF ACTIONS HAVE PREVENTED MASS CASUALTIES.
THIS REQUEST FOR FUNDS IS REMINISCENT OF MEPFA (Middle East Peace Facilitation Act) following Oslo. I recall testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee against that appropriation. For that request not only had no guarantees, but was being accompanied by the intifada.
Today we hear a lot of pleasant talk, but real action on the ground is missing. We all know how the post Oslo funding was wasted. Can’t we ever learn?
Aside from all the well known arguments against such a disbursement at this particular moment (before we see an end to corruption and terrorism) there is one other thought.
Saudi Arabia kissing cousins of the Palestinians is said to have earned about 38 billion dollars as a windfall secondary to the rise in oil prices. I don’t know if this figure is anywhere near accurate, however we can be sure that the HOUSE OF SAUD could easily give their mishpacha a half billion dollars and not notice it.
Let's allow the Saudis to make a major contribution, as we monitor the progress on the corruption/terrorism/governance axis. If the PA makes real progress then we will have an objective reason to commit our funds.
