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Yeah, yeah. We get it. You hate America:
America’s current economic turmoil is “divine punishment” for Washington’s treatment of the Palestinian people, a Hamas leader said during a Friday sermon.
Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip said God was penalizing the US for supporting an Israeli-led blockade of the Strip. Haniyeh said God’s punishment would also extend to America’s allies.
“This is divine punishment, because of America’s embargo of the Palestinian people,” said Haniyeh, who devoted much of his 45-minute sermon in a Gaza City mosque to attacking the US.
But excuse me, Prime Minister Haniyeh. How exactly is the Palestinian economy faring?
As of December 2006, unemployment has risen from 23% in 2005[1] to over 50%. Two-thirds of Palestinians are living below the poverty line. In the last four months, approximately 10,000 have emigrated from the territories, and approximately 50,000 have applied to do so. For the past nine months, the 160,000 civil service workers, who are the primary breadwinners for a third of households, have not received their full salaries due to the cuts in foreign aid.[2] As a result of the Israeli blockade on the territory, 85 percent of factories are shut or operating at less than 20 percent capacity. Israel estimates that its own businesses are losing $2 million a day from the closing, but Gaza is losing $1 million a day, an amount it is less able to afford.[3]
That’s what I thought. Insert foot in mouth whenever you’re ready, Haniyeh.
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