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Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Deadly Falafel

Here's another peek at how well Palestinian Arab democracy is working in Gaza:
This problem is evident in every area. An ordinary citizen who wants to resolve a legal problem with a friend or neighbor knows that the best way is to bypass the courts and hire armed men. Everyone has friends with weapons, and even if these are lacking, $100 will buy you four armed men for a whole day. They can help with debt collection, removing business rivals or taking over land.

There are almost daily reports of assassinations, abductions and clan fights. On Saturday, for example, 5,000 people participated in a reconciliation ceremony between two clans whose dispute had cost several Palestinian lives.

The fighting was triggered by two kids arguing over a falafel sandwich.
That falafel sandwich must somehow be related to "occupation."