|
Trending Topics
|
Unemployed Demonstrate Against PA
(Jerusalem Post) Khaled Abu Toameh - Earlier this month, Abbas was promised more than $1 billion in financial aid at the London Conference, but according to PA Prime Minister Qurei, the Palestinians still haven't received any of the money. Earlier this week thousands of unemployed workers stormed the offices of the Palestinian legislature in Gaza City to protest against the ongoing crisis, followed by a similar demonstration in the West Bank city of Kalkilya. Last week, the PA Ministry of Social Welfare closed down its office in Nablus after unemployed laborers physically assaulted the employees, accusing them of failing to provide them with jobs and money. Abbas is aware that the poor are most likely to vent their frustrations against him and his government before they shout slogans against Israel and the U.S. In the post-Arafat era, there seems to be zero tolerance on the Palestinian street toward financial corruption. "These workers demonstrated against the Palestinian Authority and not against the occupation. The existence of the occupation does not justify mismanagement, waste of public funds, and another 1,000 forms of corruption," said Hassan Khader, a columnist with the Ramallah-based Al-Ayyam