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Thursday, December 11, 2008

Abbas: "Free Gaza" a joke, PA pays 70,000 Gazans

In a long interview with the Palestine Press Agency, Mahmoud Abbas was asked about the "Free Gaza" ships to break the "siege" around Gaza. Here was his answer:

This is a ridiculous game called "break the siege" ... Yes, there are ships that sail off the port of Larnaca, Cyprus. First the Israeli embassy takes all passports of the passengers of the vessel to ensure the identities of the passengers and then examine what assistance will be on the ship. Secondly the Israeli navy ensures those on the ship and cargo loaded, before allowing them to continue the trip to Gaza .. Where is the blockade being broken?. Some States said they would send ships .. Where are those ships?

... If you want to send aid to Gaza, why not Tersloha[?] via Egypt or Jordan .. Egypt reaches everything as well as Jordan. Consequently, this is cheap, false propaganda and not the first nor the last time.
He also admitted yet again that 58% of the PA budget goes to Gaza, something which surprised the interviewer:
Q: 58 per cent of the [PA] budget is spent on the Strip?

A: Yes, 58 per cent of our budget goes to Gaza, including the salaries of 77 thousand employees. A few days before, "one Hamas leader« island », Israel prevented the introduction of 240 million shekels to the Gaza Strip and the source of these millions is power. We say to them that there Kerem Shalom crossing, Karni and Erez and Sofer .. To work to open the crossings and keeping them open .. The Rafah crossing, we will try to reopen the agreement with all parties .. And respond to either open the Rafah crossing or all crossings remain closed .. Such as what happened in the case of pilgrims .. Their own logic was either go out to her Hajj Visa or one would not even carry the Visa ..
Which means that Gazans get twice as much of our tax dollars, per capita, than West Bankers.