It’s the aid, stupid!

Palestine is the land of charlatans and murderers. Why? If the problem is Israel, how can these people behave so badly amongst themselves?

The answer could be Foreign Aid. Despite the international embargo on aid to the Palestinian Authority since Hamas came to power a year ago, The International Monetary Fund and the United Nations say the Palestinians received $1.2 billion in aid and budgetary support in 2006, about $300 per capita, compared with $1 billion in 2005.

According to the German newspaper Die Welt, Palestine is the world's largest per capita recipient of foreign aid.

So why would Fatah do anything differently? When things are bad they get even more money. Take a look at what happened to Suha Arafat. Oh, the revolution life is much sweeter from Paris.

How about Hamas? How can it exist when the West is pouring money into Fatah’s pockets like there is no tomorrow?

Well, let’s see what Mahmoud Zahar, co-founder of Hamas has to say:

“SPIEGEL ONLINE: The international community plans to release all the aid money it has withheld from Palestinians for over a year to the Fatah government in the West Bank. Will the West Bank become a kind of luxury-Palestine, while the Gaza Strip starves?

Zahar: Fatah in the West Bank will receive money, and they will have to pass it on to Gaza. If it doesn't, it will lose Gaza forever. We would also have to search for alternatives. We have a very good image among people throughout the Arab world. If we want, we can get $5 million per month in donations from Egypt. We have also received money from foreign countries in the past -- $82 million from Kuwait, $50 million from Libya. I personally once brought $20 million from Iran to the Gaza Strip in a suitcase. No, actually twice -- the second time it was $22 million.”

So why would they change? The charlatans might become murderers, and the murderers can become charlatans.

But that’s pretty much all you can get.