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Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14236/palestinians-oppose-economic-prosperity
Why Palestinians Oppose Economic Prosperity
(Gatestone Institute) Bassam Tawil - Hebron businessman Ashraf Jabari recently announced the establishment of the new Reform and Development Party that calls for focusing on economic prosperity for Palestinians. In response, Palestinians have waged a massive smear campaign against him, with many denouncing him as a "traitor" and "collaborator" with Israel and Jews. Some have even called for his arrest or execution. In the face of the widespread protests, Jabari's clan was forced publicly to denounce and disown him. The Ramallah-based Palestinian news website Wattan called for bringing Jabari to trial for treason. In the eyes of many Palestinians, the struggle against Israel should be paramount, even if they have to eat and drink that struggle instead of the food they could buy through engaging in economic initiatives such as those proposed by Jabari. In light of the uproar, it is safe to assume that his new party will never succeed in winning the hearts and minds of Palestinians. The upcoming peace plan talks about giving the Palestinians billions of dollars and raising money for them from wealthy Arab countries. Yet, as Jabari's case makes clear, the Palestinians are less invested in gaining economic stability than they are in hating Israel.