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Consumerism Is Rampant in Ramallah
(Irish Times) Michael Jansen - Ramallah in the West Bank is a bustling, traffic-snarled city of modest skyscrapers, with thousands of empty flats, cafes, restaurants, shops and office blocks. After a day of Ramadan fasting, West Bankers and Palestinian Jerusalemites pour into Ramallah to partake of swinging night life. Palestinian civil servants and prosperous businesses prop up the economy and fill the merchants' coffers. Consumerism is rampant. Malls have sprung up in every quarter. Meanwhile, Gaza is in severe recession. Only 10% of its two million residents has access to safe drinking water and there is a severe shortage of electricity.