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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….and apparently it isn’t because they think he’s Muslim.

I guess that phone call I got the other night from Gaza wasn’t a death threat after all.  Instead it was the ever delusional organizer of the “All This for Peace” organization (and I use the word organization very loosely), Abu Jayyeb, a 23-year old student from Gaza.

Give us more details, Abu-baboo:

[He] relies on his colleagues and friends to make the actual phone calls because he feels his own command of English is not up to the task. His knowledge of technology, however, very much is. Utilizing Voip and Skype, Ibrahim has crafted a system of politicking that runs on almost no cost in dollars (or shekels), but requires a great deal of patience and persistence. According to Ibrahim, 19 out every 20 calls his group makes ends with an unceremonious “hang-up.”

What amazing technological prowess this guy has. I can’t believe he knows how to click the “Download” button for a fucking free P2P communications program like Skype. He’s a genius!

Right, so, the guy knows how to download a program and dial an American phone number. How much damage is he doing?

Ibrahim told The Media Line that during the past seven months his group has reached between 5,000 and 6,000 Americans. If his assertion of 1-out-of-20 completed calls is accurate, 120,000 calls have been placed. Asked how he could weather such mass rejection, he replied, “It’s worth it.”

Seven months multiplied by 30 days divided by 6,000 calls =  14.3 phones calls per day.

Wow.  Look out America.  Another drop of unwanted solicitation is just a ring away.

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It’s like trying to resuscitate an already vegetative corps:

The cash-strapped Palestinian Authority will receive a financial boost from Saudi Arabia to help Prime Minister Salam Fayyad pay public sector salaries, Palestinian officials said on Saturday.

“The Saudi finance minister told the Palestinian Authority that the decision was made to transfer $100 million,” said Palestinian Information Minister Riyad al-Malki.

Malki said the money was part of pledges made to the Palestinian Authority at a donors conference in Paris in December and expected the transfer to arrive in the coming days.

Fayyad has struggled in recent months to pay government workers because many Arab donors have not met their financial commitments.

Maybe because the Arab donors are smart enough not to actually donate money to the palsyated Hamas government.  Pledging money is one thing (It’s great for public relations.  Arab brotherhood and all), but actually GIVING them the money??

Speaking of Arab support of Palestine, the ever dubious DEBKA file “military source” suggests a mainly Egyptian military force of 3,000 will be pledged to “assist” the impoverished Palestine:

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that a new 11-point scheme, just developed by Saudi King Abdullah and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, provides for the bulk of the 3,000-strong force to be Egyptian. The plan would effectively restore Egypt’s pre-1967 domination of the Gaza Strip.

It will be presented to Israeli defense minister Ehud Barak when he visits Mubarak’s summer palace in Alexandria, Tuesday, Aug. 26.

In 1967, (The Six Day War as dubbed by Israel) Egypt had complete control over the Gaza strip during it’s war with Israel.  Are they suggesting a “softer” occupation in conjunction with Israeli and Saudi support?

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A letter written by one of three Palestinian Fulbright students who had their U.S. student visas canceled last week was printed in the San Diego Union-Tribune yesterday.

Fidaa Abed, who was anticipating a Masters Degree in Computer Science from UC San Diego, writes:

Last week, I landed in Washington, D.C., brimming with optimism. Upon arrival, I was whisked into a separate room. An American official informed me that he had just received information about me that he could not reveal. However, it required him to put me on the next plane home. I was shocked. And I was taken aback at the cruelty of snatching away my educational dreams at the last possible moment.

I’d like to mention that four other Gaza Fulbright students passed their security clearances and are currently studying in the United States.  Why Fidaa Abed didn’t pass still hasn’t been revealed but it should be noted that it wasn’t a blanket decision to block ALL of the Palestinian Fulbright scholars from attending American universities.

Who does Mr. Abed blame?

Israel tightened economic restrictions in 2006 following the election victory of Hamas. Hoping to weaken Hamas, Israel has gradually tightened restrictions on freedom of goods and people from the Gaza Strip to the outside world, maintaining a near total blockade on some 1.5 million Palestinian civilians for more than a year.

Thankfully, I have received support from people around the world. Journalists have wanted to hear my story. The American officials who saw me in Amman and Jerusalem upon my return were friendly and seemed embarrassed by my predicament.

Despite my treatment, I know that most Americans are kind people who mean well. What happened to me runs contrary to the good will exhibited by the American people. Israeli policies that relegate Palestinians in Gaza to prison-like conditions and Palestinians in the West Bank to an apartheid-like existence do not advance the cause of peace. The United States should use its tremendous sway with Israel to advance the cause of freedom and equal rights for Palestinians and Israelis alike.

According to Mr. Abed, the United States is under the thumb of Israel and the reason he was declined a visa was simply because Israel didn’t like the glisten in his eyes.

Stop pulling at my heart strings, fella.  The truth will be revealed all in due time.

Continue reading complete letter here.

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