Bernie Sanders does not appear to know that whatever “humanitarian crisis” there may be in Gaza, it is not Israel, but Hamas that has caused it. Hamas has harmed the Gazan Arabs in several ways. First, despite the fact that Gazans have received many billions of dollars in aid, the fantastic corruption of its leaders has siphoned off a good deal of it. Both Khaled Meshal, the former head of Hamas’ political wing, who now lives in Qatar, and Moussa Abu Marzouk, a senior leader of Hamas who now lives in Egypt, have each amassed fortunes of at least $2.5 billion; some Arab investigators believe that Meshaal may now have as much as $5 billion. This amount, of between $5 and $7.5 billion, was meant to be aid for the people of Gaza. Israel had nothing to do with such a diversion of funds. Ismail Haniyeh, the current leader of Hamas, is reported to now have his own fortune of tens of millions of dollars, for he receives the proceeds of a 20% tax on all goods smuggled into Gaza from Egypt. In addition, there are at least 600 “Hamas millionaires” living in Gaza. There are no signs that Hamas leaders will end this corruption; they, after all, are the prime beneficiaries.
The second way that Hamas has caused a “humanitarian crisis” in Gaza is by misusing funds meant for such things as residential housing, improvements to energy infrastructure so as to avoid frequent power cuts, and wastewater treatment plants (such as the North Gaza Wastewater Treatment Plant, finally put into operation in 2018 after years of delay, paid for entirely by foreign – European – donors. including the World Bank). Instead of undertaking such improvements, all of which would instantly improve the lives of the Gazan Arabs, Hamas chooses to use that aid in building a huge military armory; rockets and missiles are expensive. And when Hamas uses part of that armory in an effort to rain death down on Israeli towns, it is not just Hamas, but all the Gazans, who suffer from the inevitable retaliation.
If Bernie Sanders were willing to do a little investigating – less than a half-hour of googling would do — he could find out about the fantastic theft of many billions in aid money by Hamas leaders, about the use for military purposes of much of the aid that remains, instead of spending it on reconstruction for the sake of Gazan civilians. He would discover that Israel’s “blockade” does not extend to food, nor, any longer, to fuel. And he would learn about the thousands of rockets that Hamas has hurled at Israel. He would also find out about Hamas’ blood-curdling threats to kill not just all Israelis, but all Jews, everywhere.
He would find out that Israel tried, from the very moment it left Gaza, to help it inhabitants economically. Israel turned over, as a turn-key business, the 3,000 greenhouses that the Palestinians could have continued to run and expand, in an operation worth hundreds of millions of dollars a year. Instead, they chose to destroy them. Israeli employers also hired tens of thousands of Gazans, to work both in Gaza and in Israel, and only cut back later on such employment for security reasons.
Here’s what, having duly informed himself, Bernie Sanders could say about Gaza:
“I am deeply concerned about the ordinary people of Gaza, who are held in thrall by Hamas, a terrorist group that continues to attack Israel’s civilians with rockets and mortar fire. Billions of dollars have been given by aid groups to Gaza, too much of which ends up in the coffers of Hamas, the terrorist group that rules Gaza with an iron fist. And Hamas leaders have diverted billions – think of that, billions! – of that aid to themselves. Two of its top leaders, Khaled Meshaal and Moussa Abu Marzouk, have managed to amass fortunes of $2.5-5 billion and $2.5 billion respectively. In addition, the current leader of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh, is said to now have a fortune of tens of millions of dollars; there are 600 Hamas members in Gaza who are believed to be millionaires, all of those fortunes are in the midst of so much poverty among the ordinary Gazans. I think that the people of Gaza deserve to have that money returned, clawed back, for their benefit.
“I also think that Hamas should be shifting its priorities. Instead of spending money on expensive rockets and missiles, the use of which by Hamas only brings Israeli retribution, and does not improve the life of a single Gazan, all the aid money should go to reconstruction of housing, power plants, the electric grid, and waste-water management. Let every penny of that aid money be used to improve the lives of ordinary Gazans, instead of enriching a handful of Hamas leaders..
“And there is another thing that has always disturbed me. Why is it that tens of billions of dollars in aid have been given by the West, including the United States, as aid to the Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank, while so little is given to them by their fellow Arabs? Why can’t the Gulf Arabs come through with real money to help the Palestinians, and not just with a billion here and a billion there? Those Gulf Arabs have annual incomes of tens, and in some cases even receive hundreds of billions of dollars; surely they can spare some for the Arabs of Gaza and the West Bank? At that meeting in Manama, $50 billion in aid for the Palestinians was discussed – a sum that really would make a difference in the lives of Palestinians. And the Gulf Arabs can easily afford that. I call on them to contribute their fair share, without further excuses or delays.
“And to make sure that corrupt leaders do not again help themselves to much of that aid, or spend it on weapons, the disbursal of the aid should be the responsibility of financial technocrats assigned to the task by a U.N. oversight committee. Let’s see how that arrangement fares, and let’s for decency’s sake please stop – and I am ashamed to say that I was one of them – blaming Israel for the Gazans’ plight.”
arnold denton says
IS HE RETARDED
mortimer says
Leftardation … find the cure.
CogitoErgoSum says
Bernie Sanders is 78 and just suffered a heart attack. How likely is it he will survive another 4 or 5 years under the stress of being President?
mortimer says
Bernie will be 79 on September 8, 2020, two months before the presidential election on Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
The median age upon accession to the US presidency is 55 years and 3 months. Bernie will be 79 and 4 months.
Bernie would then be 24 years older … an entire generation older… than what has been the normal age of a starting president.
Bernie would turn 80 years old during his first year in office, making him 25 years older than the normal first year president.
Most people at 80 simply haven’t half the mental acuity or energy of a 55-year-old.
His candidacy is ABSURD and his supporters are so befuddled, they are devoid of the ability of critical thought.
The US is filled with passionate fools who are led by their incendiary feelings. The problem we have is how to restore critical thinking.
Wellington says
Agreed, mortimer, but good luck with restoring critical thinking in America because right now Leftists are very much in control of education in this country and Leftism is devoid of true critical thought.
Spencer C says
Mortimer is absolutely right. Excellent comment. For Sanders to be running, and now he’s suffered a heart attack, is evidence of insanity. Most politicians are psychotic to varying degrees but this imbecile has absolutely no sense of proportion. None whatsoever! Sanders may not survive to the convention.
Angemon says
Most people at 80 simply haven’t half the mental acuity or energy of a 55-year-old.
And that’s without a heart attack, like Bernie had last month.
gravenimage says
I don’t think his political ideas have gotten any worse–we can’t chalk this up to age.
James Lincoln says
mortimer,
Bernie Sanders makes me think of a line in a Billy Joel song called “Angry Young Man”:
“And he’ll go to his grave as an angry old man.”
Wellington says
Almost every idea this man has is wrong.
mortimer says
Agree. 70 years of the USSR and more in communist China have surely demonstrated beyond a reasonable doubt that communism is DISASTROUS. Only a self-delusional, uncritical true-believer could continue to follow communism … the god that failed. Bernie is a true-believer in Marxism and nothing will dissuade him.
Kay says
It amazes me that he can even be considered as a candidate.
gravenimage says
Yes–and that he is in the top three Dems is especially disturbing. He should be a fringe candidate–but he is not.
abad says
I don’t think Sanders is self-hating, but I think he is making the same mistake the other Democrat leaders are making when it comes to dealing with Hamas and the Islam problem in general.
Beto O’Rourke already dropped out of the Presidential race, whoever is left and up against Trump, well…plan on seeing Trump for the next four years as our President.
Incidentally – has anyone else heard the excellent news?
October 2019 marks the first month which no “Syrian Refugees”(TM) have been admitted into the United States.
Excellent work, President Trump, and thank you for keeping your word!
underbed cat says
Bernie should take a trip down the alleys of Hamas controlled areas in the occupied zone and visit the martyr wall then hang around for the Friday protests, maybe get some promotional ads made. lots of camera’s and media attend…or crack open Spencer’s new book about the Palestinian Delusion. (s.) see the real stuff. I predict he would say what the heck, get me outta here.
Battle says
,underbed cat hits nail on head. Good.
gravenimage says
Bernie Sanders Wants to Cut Aid for Israel and Give It to Hamas (Part 2)
……………..
Sure–let’s take money from our stanchest ally and give it to the thugs who want to destroy them. Sounds good…sarc/off
Paddy O'Connor says
Cranky Bernie at it again.Can’t keep himself runnin’off at the mouth.
OLD GUY says
Bernie needs to give up his citizenship and move to Russia.
Kepha says
Boynie’s sentiments are perfectly undestandable. Boynie has a warm spot a mile wide for the grand, socialist experiment that was the Leninist USSR. Israel betrayed early Soviet support by failure to become a Communist spearhead in the Middle East, and then went on to win the 1967 war against Egypt and Syria, and hand over lots of captured Soviet equipment to the USA. Since Israel then became a Cold War US ally, it lost any claim to sympathy it might ever have had.
Further, Boynie’s constituency is the American Left. One of the American Left’s icons is the execrable Malcolm X, who made Islam “cool” for three generations of gullible American students. Boynie and people like him, while spitting on “organized religion”, are careful to be sure that none of their spittle falls on that sacred goat’s-head of Islam. Hence, he has to praise Hamas as a band of “brave freedom fighters” or some other nonsensical term rather than the corrupt coterie it is.