Abbas's new Presidential Guest Palace

Writing at Gatestone, Khaled Abu Toameh asks the question, "What  are Palestinians Doing with U.S. Money?", concluding  "One does not have to be an expert on Palestinian affairs to see that the billions of dollars have neither created democracy for the Palestinians nor boosted the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. "

During the past 20 years, the U.S. has invested $4.5 billion in promoting democracy among the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and boosting the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

This is what Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah revealed during a meeting in Ramallah this week with Congressman Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hamdallah said that the money was also invested in projects in various Palestinian sectors.

The $4.5 billion that Hamdallah talked about does not include the billions of dollars poured on the Palestinian Authority (PA) since its creation in 1994. Palestinian economic analysts estimate that the PA has received a total of $25 billion in financial aid from the U.S. and other countries during the past two decades.

One of the "projects" financed by US donations may very well be Abbas's new  Presidential Guest Place. Now serving the 11th year of his 4 year term, Abbas is building himself a facility fit for a king.

The Presidential Guest Palace in Surda, Ramallah

$13 million dollars is budgeted for the project, which includes 2 helipads

You say Ramallah, and I say Ramlla

Hows the democratic secular society going for you?

On various social media sites and throughout the web , Palestinians  are debating whether the city of  Ramallah should change its name to Ramlla.  (راملّه) instead of (رام الله)

The name "Ramallah" is composed of "Ram", an Aramaic word  meaning "high place or mountain", and "Allah". It translates as "the Hill of God"

Ramallah

The issue? Currently, products and packages bearing the name "Ramallah" often end up in the trash. Many Palestinians feel this desecrates the name of "Allah".

This issue was deemed important enough that the Ramallah Municipality Council devoted a meeting to it.

For the anti-Israel activists who tout "one democratic secular state"  as a more palatable, "PC" way to discuss the elimination of Israel as the nation state of the Jewish people, just how were you planning on pushing "secular" on the Palestinian people?

Palestinians Love Caterpillar. Why doesn't JVP?

Nearly every divestment initiative that hits American campuses and church groups insists that the institution divest from Caterpillar, a manufacturer of construction equipment that  supplies bulldozers to Israel  that allegedly are "complicit in the destruction of Palestinian homes".  In particular,  Jewish Voice for Peace has become obsessed with Caterpillar, regularly stalking their meetings, shareholder events, and social media sites. Their latest campaign has been to pressure and bully the  investment giant Tiaa-Cref  to withdraw its holdings from Caterpillar.

JVP  remains  oblivious to the fact that the Palestinians themselves have not divested from Caterpillar.  In this youtube from last year, the Palestinians celebrate the delivery of new Caterpillar equipment to the West Bank.  Maybe someone needs to remind them of the Palestinian "civil society" call to boycott.

There are Caterpillar dealerships in both Gaza and in Ramallah, incidentally.

Why does JVP insist that Americans be more Palestinian than the Palestinians? Why does JVP insist that American institutions divest from Caterpillar, when  Palestinian institutions refuse to?

Mövenpick, Ramallah. 5 star luxury in the West Bank

The Movenpick Hotel in Ramallah with its sparkling new swimming pool


Located just minutes away from the city centre of Ramallah in Palestine,close to the city shopping and entertainment district and with a great view over the suburbs of Jerusalem from the upper floors of the hotel, the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah is the first 5 star hotel opening in the disputed Palestinian territories. It is a locally owned franchise of the Swiss-based chain.

The 40-million-dollar hotel includes 171 rooms and suites, an outdoor pool, fitness centre and seven conference rooms. The main restaurant has an Italian chef and a downstairs cigar bar that will serve up 20-year aged whiskeys.

Jewish Voice for Peace and others (forgive me if I don't link to them) have described "the acute water shortage among Palestinians in the West Bank" , blaming illegal "Jewish-only colonies (that) fill up their swimming pools while many Palestinian families do not have enough water to grow food or bathe regularly." Will they condemn the Mövenpick Hotel in Ramallah for building a swimming pool that deprives the ordinary Palestinian people of drinking water? Its unlikely.

For organizations like JVP, the diversion of water resources for the Palestinian ruling elite is acceptable and they'll continue to use their initimable smoke and mirrors approach to blame the ramifications on Israel. Just click your heels twice and repeat, "Its all Israel's fault. Its all Israel's fault"