35 THE JEWISH HOME ugee organization) and delivered only $107 million. Nor do the Arab League or U.N. discuss the plight of Palestinians in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon where they’re kept in refugee camps and treated as second-class citizens. And it would certainly be too much to expect Palestinians to rely on their own government for assistance. The hopelessly corrupt Palestinian Authority refused last year to take millions of dollars in medical aid from the Israeli Ministry of Health. In another disturbing example, EU investigators in 2013 found that the P.A. had wasted $2.7 billion of aid, some of which likely went to paying convicted terrorists and their families. The recent decision by President Mahmoud Abbas to end security cooperation with Israel puts the jobs and lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians at risk. Abbas had just last year called security ties with Israel “sacred” and promised that they would persist despite disagreements with the Israeli government. If these ties are not restored soon, the burden of preventing Hamas attacks might be placed solely on Israel’s shoulders. In the words of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, “If the Palestinian Authority ceases or were to cease, security cooperation – or even decide to disband as a result of their economic predicament, and that could happen in the near future if they don’t receive additional revenues – then we would be faced with yet another crisis that could also greatly impact the security of both Palestinians and Israelis, which would have the potential of serious ripple effects elsewhere in the region.” Robert Serry, U.N. Special Coordinator for the Middle East, warns that this could be the “final nail in the coffin of the Oslo Accords.” For now, despite such foolhardy and counterproductive measures, Israeli-Palestinian relations outside the political realm are healthy and constantly expanding. While this may not lead to a political solution, it can at least lead to increased understanding and respect between the two sides. (Sources: Times of Israel, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Good News From Israel, Forbes) Aid trucks enter Gaza vi Kerem Shalom crossing
APRIL 1, 2015
One incredibly generous Israeli group, the Peres Center for Peace, provides hospital care in Israel, without charge, for Palestinian children with heart conditions. Meanwhile, due to the abysmal state of Palestinian healthcare, the Israeli government hands out thousands of humanitarian entry permits to Palestinians every year so they can receive care, and the Palestinian Authority itself often funds patients’ treatment at Israeli hospitals. Humanitarian aid is another one of Israel’s strong suits. Even as the rockets rained down on Israel in 2014, the IDF’s humanitarian relief efforts were in full swing, bringing fuel, food, electricity, water, clothing, medicine, agricultural materials and more to the people of Gaza. Israeli engineers came into Gaza to perform repairs of the roads, electrical systems, water supply, sewage plants and communication lines. However, Hamas’ incessant rocket attacks and use of human shields created a dangerous situation for the Israeli teams, thus severely limiting the amount of aid that could reach Gazans. In all, Israel sends over a million tons of aid into Gaza every year. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs approved a plan last month to further lift the restrictions on Gaza, meaning that Gazan trade, agriculture and home reconstruction will increase significantly. Contrast Israeli aid to the Palestinians with that pledged by the Arab countries. A 2011 article in Turkey’s Hurriyet Daily noted that “Arab countries have cut aid to Palestinians substantially, despite their rhetoric of supporting Palestinian rights. Arab donors provided less than $80 million in the first half of 2011, compared to $231 million in 2010, $462 million in 2009 and $446 million in 2008. Arab countries have committed to billions in aid in past years that never materialized. One reason could be that the Arab world has become fed up with the Palestinian problem. Even the Arab League and U.N., not exactly Israel’s allies, have rebuked oil-rich Arab countries for failing to live up to their promises. For example, Arab countries pledged $999 million in 2004 to the budget of UNRWA (the U.N.’s Palestinian Ref-