Reshaping US aid to the Palestinians

[Borillar]

I originally posted this in another thread as a response...but it's intriguing enough to deserve it's own discussion. I adamently oppose the Trump administration's unilateral cutting off of all aid to the Palestinians. Trump has no Middle East plan - all he believes in is punishing people into submission without regard to human suffering. However, this article offers some good ideas on how aid could be structured more effectively.



Reshaping US aid to the Palestinians

With prospects for diplomacy dim, with the need to change reality on the ground to restore a sense of possibility, and with past lessons showing that assistance should be used to promote development and reduce Israeli-Palestinian friction, we propose three recommendations for Congress to reprogram the $200 million fiscal 2018 monies to create a more stable economic, political and security environment in Gaza and the West Bank:

First, use that assistance to take water off the negotiating table. In the not too distant past, water negotiations were zero-sum, given the limited supply of water between the Mediterranean and Jordan River. Now, due to technological gains in water desalination, water use and reuse, water negotiations are no longer binary trade-offs. Instead, they can focus on the much simpler challenges of distribution and pricing.

What could this mean in practice? U.S. assistance in Gaza can fund a small solar field to power the existing Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant, build up the community-based solar desalination units piloted by MIT, expand the UNICEF solar-fuel facility in Gaza’s Khan Younis neighborhood, initiate additional phases of the World Bank-funded North Gaza Emergency Sanitation Treatment plant, and repair water infrastructure degraded by three wars. Water also is directly linked to electricity; progress in water and sanitation will yield a better, more predictable power supply. There is real potential for small-scale, renewable power throughout Gaza, supplying energy at the community level while minimizing the risk of disruption historically associated with Gaza’s power plant.

Second, U.S. assistance should be used to substantially expand trade between Palestinians and Israelis. Consider the northern West Bank city of Jenin: Israel decided 15 years ago that if it opened a crossing point so Israeli Arabs could shop in the West Bank, it would be a stabilizer, even though the Second Intifada rebellion was ongoing. That calculation was successful; increased Palestinian trade has reduced unemployment in the northern West Bank from reportedly 50 percent in 2003 to below 20 percent now. These robust trading channels have opened sustainable opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses, improved local governance and fostered broad-based security for Palestinians and Israelis alike. In 2003, Jenin was the center for suicide bombers during the peak of the Second Intifada but now is one of the more successful Palestinian cities.

The Jenin model is replicable. American aid can help establish similar trading zones in the West Bank city of Qalqilya where Palestinian traders, shopkeepers and small businesses can sell directly to the large Israeli Arab community a few miles away. The Jenin model also can work in Gaza: Palestinian textile manufacturers have relationships with Israeli designers and European markets; Gaza historically supplied much of the fresh fruits and vegetables in Israel. These relationships could restart in months with the sustained, predictable opening of the Karem Shalom crossing and additional trading corridors from Erez or elsewhere.

Perhaps most interesting is the nascent but growing Gaza tech sector, where Gaza Sky Geeks is incubating Palestinian start-ups and more established firms are initiating software development with tech firms in Israel and beyond. Israel’s tech industry has more than 10,000 unfilled jobs which could be filled from the surplus of high-tech graduates in the West Bank and Gaza.

Third, education is a key foundation for a better future. Israelis and Americans have long criticized the Palestinian Authority for not educating its people for peace. Why not engage American universities and NGOs to elevate the Palestinian education system and prepare Palestinians for a 21st century economy? Bard College has provided long-term teacher training at Al Quds University in which teachers and principals earn an American master’s degree in education and serve as leaders in their schools. Imagine if education programming and people-to-people funding allowed the best cohort of Palestinian youth to study in Israeli universities, intern at Israeli high-tech firms, and do residencies at Israeli hospitals. ​

As long as the Palestinians are represented by Hamas and the PLO, there will be no peace. Any aid other than humanitarian aid is pointless and counterproductive.

 

[rylah]

Would be both antisemitic and against US Law.
There's no equivalence between withdrawing support for people of an ethnic group simply because they live in an area that they're fully entitled to,
versus de-funding a govt that uses US aid for salaries of convicted terrorists.

The idea that people of Jewish ethnicity are not permitted to live in certain places in the world is absolutely, without question, at its core anti-semitic. The idea that a future Palestine must be Jew-free is also anti-semitic.

Prevention of Israeli unilateral "annexation" of disputed territory is not. But most people discussing "settlements" confuse the two.

Yes that's important that we spot valid criticism.
I'm not sure that US law regarding the issue allows prevention of unilateral annexation, Israel has the title backed both by the US and international law.

The only working Arab state in Palestine gave up the title. Hamas didn't sign Oslo, PLO did and they threaten to abandon the agreement making them legally irrelevant.

What part of the picture do I miss?

 

[rylah]

All I'm saying...
If the Palestinian fractions don't start showing results of investment in social development,
Gradually Jordan can turn into a new beneficiary of what used to be Palestinian aid,
unlike the Palestinian fractions Jordan is also a strategic ally of the US.

When other regional incentives start showing up on the table, regional normalization efforts, current Palestinian fractions may simply start to dissolve into chaos as their legitimacy and budget fade, this is a danger if the society doesn't make fundamental shifts in priorities.

To me it seems like such a shift can happen only from the inside. Doesn't matter how much money one pours in.

 

[Shusha]

Would be both antisemitic and against US Law.
There's no equivalence between withdrawing support for people of an ethnic group simply because they live in an area that they're fully entitled to,
versus de-funding a govt that uses US aid for salaries of convicted terrorists.

The idea that people of Jewish ethnicity are not permitted to live in certain places in the world is absolutely, without question, at its core anti-semitic. The idea that a future Palestine must be Jew-free is also anti-semitic.

Prevention of Israeli unilateral "annexation" of disputed territory is not. But most people discussing "settlements" confuse the two.

Yes that's important that we spot valid criticism.
I'm not sure that US law regarding the issue allows prevention of unilateral annexation, Israel has the title backed both by the US and international law.

The only working Arab state in Palestine gave up the title. Hamas didn't sign Oslo, PLO did and they threaten to abandon the agreement making them legally irrelevant.

What part of the picture do I miss?

Oh, I agree with you. Israel HAS legal title to all of the territory so it can't truly annex its own territory.

Though one might be able to argue that since Israel has voluntarily refrained from exercising its full sovereignty over certain territories, and has actually formally removed sovereignty from Gaza, that Israel has already ceded the territory. (Making it terra nullius). I find the idea that territory must be set aside as terra nullius and remain so for a possible future State to be legally problematic. It seems to me that legally, absent negotiated peace treaty, it is just as valid for Israel to annex that terra nullius as it is for Palestine to annex it.

What makes it ethically problematic is when people of certain ethnicities (or nationalities) are encouraged to reside there and people of other ethnicities (nationalities) are prohibited from residing there. That reeks of what it is.

 

[Shusha]

All I'm saying...
If the Palestinian fractions don't start showing results of investment in social development.
Gradually Jordan can turn into a new beneficiary of what used to be Palestinian aid,
Jordan is also an important strategic ally.

When other regional incentives start showing up on the table, regional normalization efforts, current Palestinian fractions may simply start to dissolve into chaos as their legitimacy and budget fade, this is a danger if the society doesn't make fundamental shifts in priorities.

To me it seems like such shift can happen only from the inside, or when faced with no other options.

Hmmmm. That is an interesting idea. Funding international humanitarian aid for Palestinians through Jordan. (Not sure that is exactly what you meant, but that is what I got thinking about.)

The problem with humanitarian aid, always, is how to get that aid to the people, without going through a government which is disinclined to assist its own people.

 

[MJB12741]

I originally posted this in another thread in response to your post in another thread...

To be fair, no one has had a realistic plan to this situation for 70 years.

Every year that goes by puts the Palestinians in a worse bargaining position than before.

Being brought to the table, even by force, would be in their best interests.

Do you think defunding hospitaks and medical csre is the way to do it?

One has to ask themselves why Palestine is not funding their own hospitals.

Look at their economy.

Right on. Look at Hamas and Fatah.

 

[rylah]

Would be both antisemitic and against US Law.
There's no equivalence between withdrawing support for people of an ethnic group simply because they live in an area that they're fully entitled to,
versus de-funding a govt that uses US aid for salaries of convicted terrorists.

The idea that people of Jewish ethnicity are not permitted to live in certain places in the world is absolutely, without question, at its core anti-semitic. The idea that a future Palestine must be Jew-free is also anti-semitic.

Prevention of Israeli unilateral "annexation" of disputed territory is not. But most people discussing "settlements" confuse the two.

Yes that's important that we spot valid criticism.
I'm not sure that US law regarding the issue allows prevention of unilateral annexation, Israel has the title backed both by the US and international law.

The only working Arab state in Palestine gave up the title. Hamas didn't sign Oslo, PLO did and they threaten to abandon the agreement making them legally irrelevant.

What part of the picture do I miss?

Oh, I agree with you. Israel HAS legal title to all of the territory so it can't truly annex its own territory.

Though one might be able to argue that since Israel has voluntarily refrained from exercising its full sovereignty over certain territories, and has actually formally removed sovereignty from Gaza, that Israel has already ceded the territory. (Making it terra nullius). I find the idea that territory must be set aside as terra nullius and remain so for a possible future State to be legally problematic. It seems to me that legally, absent negotiated peace treaty, it is just as valid for Israel to annex that terra nullius as it is for Palestine to annex it.

What makes it ethically problematic is when people of certain ethnicities (or nationalities) are encouraged to reside there and people of other ethnicities (nationalities) are prohibited from residing there. That reeks of what it is.

The only conclusion I can make of the situation as described is that any withdrawal of Israeli control can happen legally only by it's own will. The PA receives its' status directly from Israel's agreement, Gaza exists as separate from Israel as a follow up sovereign act, again of Israel.

Seems like the best long term "aid solution" is to gradually annex all of those back to Israel, if there's no sign of intention for constructive regional development and order under PA and Hamas control.

 

[P F Tinmore]

The EU, UK and France provide around € 5.5 million for the implementation of nineteen social infrastructure projects in Area C of the West Bank

The signing ceremony for the grant implementation agreements was held yesterday in Ramallah between the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF) and the representatives of sixteen local communities across the West Bank. The event was attended by the representatives of the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government, the European Union, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, and the French Development Agency.

The EU, UK and France provide around € 5.5 million for the implementation of nineteen social infrastructure projects in Area C of the West Bank - EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission

 

[P F Tinmore]

Water for Gaza: EU switches on the biggest solar energy field in the Gaza strip to fuel projects providing drinking water to people in dire needs

Gaza Central Desalination Plant - providing drinking water to 2 million people in Gaza

On 20 March 2018, the EU held a pledging conference in Brussels on the
Gaza Central Desalination Plant & Associated Works Project. The conference, co-chaired by the EU and the Palestinian Authority, mobilised financial support of €456 million to this biggest ever infrastructure project in the Gaza strip, which will provide a minimum of 55 million m3 of safe and clean drinking water per year. The EU pledged €70 million for the desalination plant plus €7.1 million for management costs.

Water for Gaza: EU switches on the biggest solar energy field in the Gaza strip to fuel projects providing drinking water to people in dire needs - EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission

 

[MJB12741]

The EU, UK and France provide around € 5.5 million for the implementation of nineteen social infrastructure projects in Area C of the West Bank

The signing ceremony for the grant implementation agreements was held yesterday in Ramallah between the Municipal Development and Lending Fund (MDLF) and the representatives of sixteen local communities across the West Bank. The event was attended by the representatives of the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government, the European Union, the United Kingdom Department for International Development, and the French Development Agency.

The EU, UK and France provide around € 5.5 million for the implementation of nineteen social infrastructure projects in Area C of the West Bank - EEAS - European External Action Service - European Commission

Well hey. All countries make some mistakes.

 

[fncceo]

I originally posted this in another thread in response to your post in another thread...

To be fair, no one has had a realistic plan to this situation for 70 years.

Every year that goes by puts the Palestinians in a worse bargaining position than before.

Being brought to the table, even by force, would be in their best interests.

Do you think defunding hospitaks and medical csre is the way to do it?

The Palestian Leadership still receives huge sums from EU and UN sources. It's up to the Palestinians how they choose to prioritize their spending.

 

[Coyote]

All I'm saying...
If the Palestinian fractions don't start showing results of investment in social development.
Gradually Jordan can turn into a new beneficiary of what used to be Palestinian aid,
Jordan is also an important strategic ally.

When other regional incentives start showing up on the table, regional normalization efforts, current Palestinian fractions may simply start to dissolve into chaos as their legitimacy and budget fade, this is a danger if the society doesn't make fundamental shifts in priorities.

To me it seems like such shift can happen only from the inside, or when faced with no other options.

Hmmmm. That is an interesting idea. Funding international humanitarian aid for Palestinians through Jordan. (Not sure that is exactly what you meant, but that is what I got thinking about.)

The problem with humanitarian aid, always, is how to get that aid to the people, without going through a government which is disinclined to assist its own people.

That is not a problem unique to the Palestinians. It is huge problem world wide where aid has to be funneled through corrupt state leadership.

 

[Coyote]

Would be both antisemitic and against US Law.
There's no equivalence between withdrawing support for people of an ethnic group simply because they live in an area that they're fully entitled to,
versus de-funding a govt that uses US aid for salaries of convicted terrorists.

The idea that people of Jewish ethnicity are not permitted to live in certain places in the world is absolutely, without question, at its core anti-semitic. The idea that a future Palestine must be Jew-free is also anti-semitic.

Prevention of Israeli unilateral "annexation" of disputed territory is not. But most people discussing "settlements" confuse the two.

Yes that's important that we spot valid criticism.
I'm not sure that US law regarding the issue allows prevention of unilateral annexation, Israel has the title backed both by the US and international law.

The only working Arab state in Palestine gave up the title. Hamas didn't sign Oslo, PLO did and they threaten to abandon the agreement making them legally irrelevant.

What part of the picture do I miss?

Oh, I agree with you. Israel HAS legal title to all of the territory so it can't truly annex its own territory.

Though one might be able to argue that since Israel has voluntarily refrained from exercising its full sovereignty over certain territories, and has actually formally removed sovereignty from Gaza, that Israel has already ceded the territory. (Making it terra nullius). I find the idea that territory must be set aside as terra nullius and remain so for a possible future State to be legally problematic. It seems to me that legally, absent negotiated peace treaty, it is just as valid for Israel to annex that terra nullius as it is for Palestine to annex it.

What makes it ethically problematic is when people of certain ethnicities (or nationalities) are encouraged to reside there and people of other ethnicities (nationalities) are prohibited from residing there. That reeks of what it is.

How many people of non Jewish ethnicity are encouraged to reside in settlements?

 

[Coyote]

Exactly why should they trust either the US or Israel's intentions regarding negotiatins at this point?

What is not to trust in either the US or Israel's intentions with respect to a peace treaty based on mutual negotiations? The last offer gave the Palestinians EVERYTHING they asked for -- including ALL of East Jerusalem and ALL of the Jewish Holy Places. It was refused.

Somehow that makes Israel and the US not trustworthy?

The US is absolutely no longer a trustworthy negotiator. Given the political climate NOW, Netanyahu and Likuds own derogatory statements on Palestinians - why should they trust that government or Trump?

Any negotiation involves carrots and sticks. The Pals have certainly received sticks. What good faith carrots have they been given by Trump? What sticks has Israel received? Zero to both?

 

[Coyote]

Exactly why should they trust either the US or Israel's intentions regarding negotiatins at this point?

The issue is "who is they".. Who's speaking for all the Palestinians? Which is the SAME ISSUE in sending foreign aid. Who is GETTING IT and managing it and distributing it? There is no real functional Palestinian Authority anymore. No one org to hold RESPONSIBLE for peace negotiations OR the use of foreign aid monies.

You know how I feel about pressuring Palestinians into a Western style nation govt that is not historically, culturally, acceptable to the way that Arabs naturally organize. They organize by tribal, sectarian, familial lines of authority. NOT a PLO or PA that just confirms their fears about graft and corruption and bias in distributing things.

That's largely why Hamas was able to make inroads in the West Bank elections. BECAUSE the Fatah dominated PA WAS filled with graft and corrruption and bias.

They NEED new leadership.. They NEED to negotiate. But the US and western powers expect to see a UNITY NATIONAL govt -- and that is why there's never been solutions to this problem..

I don’t disagree with that ... in fact I started a thread on it.

How is stripping humanitarian aid going to help?

 

[Coyote]

Actually, there are a lot of countries around the world that require assistance of one sort or another as a result of war, failed states, economic or environmental collapse, or struggling development.

Not sure why the Palestinian people should be uniquely singled out as unworthy of humanitaian assistance.

Well, you would have to convince me both that the CAUSE of the removal of voluntary aid is because Palestine is "unworthy", which is unlikely. You'd also have to convince me that it has "uniquely" been deprived of humanitarian assistance. Both of those appear to be appeals to emotion rather than valid arguments.

Yes, there are many countries in the world in need of assistance for a variety of reasons. The thing with Palestine is that a peace agreement, along with all the goodies that would come with it, is the SOLUTION to the problem. Yet they need to be pressured into accepting this solution to their people's suffering. Why is that, do you think?

Exactly why should they trust either the US or Israel's intentions regarding negotiatins at this point?

It is hardly an appeal to emotion. It is factual. The Trump administration is quietly stopping most if not all US assistance to the Palestinians. Assistence toIsraek is unaffected.

If this were aimed at Israel for its refusal to stop settlements you would label it anti-semitic.

That the Trump administration is stopping US funding to Palestine is factual. That the cause of it is because Palestinians are "unworthy" is an appeal to emotion.

And no, if the Trump administration stopped funding to Israel along with a demand to stop "settlement building" it would be the same as it is here -- political pressure. It only becomes anti-semitism when accompanied by rhetoric such as appeals to emotions.

In other threads you made clear that singling Israel out for condemnation, for things other states do is anti Semitic.

In this case many countries in political turmoil and states of war get humanitarian aid. The Palestinians are being uniquely singled out for cuts in all aid from the US, and in some cases that aid is being redirected to Israeli projects.

So if it were Israel being uniquely singled out it darn well would be labeled anti semitism.

But it is suddenly righteous political pressure when the Palestinians are targeted? Really?

 

[Shusha]

How many people of non Jewish ethnicity are encouraged to reside in settlements?

And how many people of Jewish ethnicity are encouraged to reside in Arab settlements in the disputed territories? I THINK, if you examined things objectively, you would find far more Arabs living peacefully and equally in Israel's territory than you will find Jews living peacefully and equally in Arab Palestine.

The fact that you ask the question as a one-sided question, is illuminating. If it is terra nullius, wouldn't both peoples have equal rights to reside there? Pending a final status agreement?

 

[Shusha]

Exactly why should they trust either the US or Israel's intentions regarding negotiatins at this point?

What is not to trust in either the US or Israel's intentions with respect to a peace treaty based on mutual negotiations? The last offer gave the Palestinians EVERYTHING they asked for -- including ALL of East Jerusalem and ALL of the Jewish Holy Places. It was refused.

Somehow that makes Israel and the US not trustworthy?

The US is absolutely no longer a trustworthy negotiator. Given the political climate NOW, Netanyahu and Likuds own derogatory statements on Palestinians - why should they trust that government or Trump?

Any negotiation involves carrots and sticks. The Pals have certainly received sticks. What good faith carrots have they been given by Trump? What sticks has Israel received? Zero to both?

Again, I ask what makes the US an untrustworthy negotiator?

As to the rest, I disagree. Palestinians have received FAR more carrots than sticks. Since when is being offered EVERYTHING you want a stick? Since when is Israel unilaterally ceding territory (Gaza, Areas A and B) to Palestine a stick? Since when is millions of $ in foreign funds annually a stick? Indeed, Palestine has been offered carrot, after carrot, after carrot. None seems to be working. Palestine, thus far, hasn't even been required to give up TERRORISM and violence against innocent Israelis. Time for some sticks. Some true sticks.

 

[Coyote]

How many people of non Jewish ethnicity are encouraged to reside in settlements?

And how many people of Jewish ethnicity are encouraged to reside in Arab settlements in the disputed territories? I THINK, if you examined things objectively, you would find far more Arabs living peacefully and equally in Israel's territory than you will find Jews living peacefully and equally in Arab Palestine.

The fact that you ask the question as a one-sided question, is illuminating. If it is terra nullius, wouldn't both peoples have equal rights to reside there? Pending a final status agreement?

I ask it as a one sided question because I am responding to a one sided comment

The point is, the difference is one of degree. It doesn’t matter what other Arab countries do. This is about Israel and Palestine...the fact that Israel does a better job of diversity doesn’t alter the fact that when it comes to settlements built in occupied/disputed territory there is little to no diversity. Why?

Why aren’t non Jews encouraged to expand into those areas?

And another question that doesn’t get answered. What new Arab settlements have been built for Arabs outside that region to migrate to? That would be analogous to the Jewish settlements but no one is willing to back anything up with numbers.

 

[Coyote]

Exactly why should they trust either the US or Israel's intentions regarding negotiatins at this point?

What is not to trust in either the US or Israel's intentions with respect to a peace treaty based on mutual negotiations? The last offer gave the Palestinians EVERYTHING they asked for -- including ALL of East Jerusalem and ALL of the Jewish Holy Places. It was refused.

Somehow that makes Israel and the US not trustworthy?

The US is absolutely no longer a trustworthy negotiator. Given the political climate NOW, Netanyahu and Likuds own derogatory statements on Palestinians - why should they trust that government or Trump?

Any negotiation involves carrots and sticks. The Pals have certainly received sticks. What good faith carrots have they been given by Trump? What sticks has Israel received? Zero to both?

Again, I ask what makes the US an untrustworthy negotiator?

The US unilaterally took Jerusalem off the table. Then followed with the ending of funding and closing th3 diplomatic mission.

How does that create a trustworthy relationship?

Let me put it another way. Trump states that Jerusalem is the Palestinian Capital and moves embassy there.

Israel protests the action and halts talks with the US.

Trump retaliates by cutting all aid to Israel.

How should Israel feel about the US as a good faith partner?

As to the rest, I disagree. Palestinians have received FAR more carrots than sticks. Since when is being offered EVERYTHING you want a stick? Since when is Israel unilaterally ceding territory (Gaza, Areas A and B) to Palestine a stick? Since when is millions of $ in foreign funds annually a stick? Indeed, Palestine has been offered carrot, after carrot, after carrot. None seems to be working. Palestine, thus far, hasn't even been required to give up TERRORISM and violence against innocent Israelis. Time for some sticks. Some true sticks.

Each new president is a new negotiation.

What carrots did Trump give the Palestinians? Be specific.

What sticks has Israel ever really gotten? The US blocks them. Has Trump brandished any sticks to coerce the Israelis to the table?

I recall that Israel had pre conditions to be met...did she waive them?