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Do Palestinian Elites Want Peace?
(Times of Israel) Ben-Dror Yemini - The Palestinian refusal to accept any peace proposal is not only due to historical reasons or a sense of injustice. It stems from the fact that the Palestinian elites only benefit from the continuation of the conflict. The Palestinians have become the ultimate global symbol of a "victim" and an "oppressed people," who are supposedly fighting against colonialism and occupation. They have become global celebrities. According to any objective measure of life expectancy, infant mortality, natural increase, and education, the Palestinians are not in the worst shape among the world's needy populations. Just the opposite. Most people in the world live in much worse circumstances. But they are not in the headlines. No one is demonstrating for them. It is not only the Palestinian leadership that enjoys ideological and moral support. Dozens of Palestinian or pro-Palestinian organizations receive extensive financial support from dozens of celebrated foundations and political structures: the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Open Society Foundation (George Soros), the EU, individual European countries, and church funds. Then there is UNRWA and other UN funding entities. With all the big bucks flowing in, with no strings attached, what are the chances that Palestinian activists will give up this abundance of status, honor, prestige, and jobs? A peace agreement would undermine this special status.