(Gulf News-Dubai) Marwan Asmar - There has been a total transformation since I was last in Howara in the West Bank in 1985. One can see a buzz of activity at the shops, restaurants, offices and cafes. This wasn't the sleepy village I saw long ago. Buildings, villas, mosques and rest areas have been constructed everywhere. There is even a swimming pool. This was certainly not the picture I had in mind. This was not the picture the media presents - of Palestinians surviving on daily wages of $2 as pointed out by the World Bank, of high unemployment and pockets of poverty. The people I spoke to here said many worked as laborers in Israel and were paid high daily wages. This is how they could build their houses, they told me.
2015-06-19 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive