[Marxism] A Ruinous Occupation!

[Dbachmozart at aol.com]

PAJU (Palestinian and Jewish Unity) #342 AUGUST 31,  2007


Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza costs nine billion  dollars a 
year 
Nine billion U.S. dollars. That is the yearly cost of Israel’s occupation of  
Palestine, according to Israeli economist Shir Hever. 
The cost is so ruinous, according to Mr. Hever, that it will eventually force 
 the Israelis to change course. "The cost of the occupation is so high that 
it is  destroying many of Israel’s societal institutions and structures," he 
states.  "However, I do not believe that the occupation will end for purely 
economic  reasons. Only the continued resistance of the Palestinian people will 
bring  about an end to the conflict while economic pressure will almost certainly
  hasten the end of the occupation." 
Shir Hever has also evaluated the occupation’s impact on the West Bank, Gaza  
and on East Jerusalem, where many businesses have already closed their doors. 
 
The researcher’s latest publication provides the first analysis of the  
economic impact of Israel’s "separation wall" on East Jerusalem. According to  his 
report, the wall costs the Palestinians of East Jerusalem approximately 194  
million dollars a year. Their total cost since the wall’s construction in 2002  
amounts to 1.2 billion dollars. According to this economist, the lives of 
over  200,000 people are negatively impacted by the wall every day. As a result, 
the  average annual income of Palestinian families in East Jerusalem has 
fallen by  17.5% since construction of the wall began.  
Hever refuses to be pessimistic about a possible end to the occupation  
conflict. However, he believes that international pressure must be focused on  
Israel to bring this about. Israeli awareness of Palestinian suffering will not,  
on its own, change Israeli attitudes. "Once the occupation is over, Israeli  
attitudes will likely change. 
Shir Hever does not hide the fact that he favours a boycott of Israel.  The 
economist stresses the fact that "people in Israel are afraid of a boycott  
because like the occupation it can really affect them adversely. This is, in  
fact, the main reason to completely boycott Israel. A boycott will force  
Israelis to pay a heavy price for their brutal and illegal occupation of the  West 
Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. A boycott will help bring justice to the  
Palestinians and peace to both the Palestinians and the Israelis. 
That is why we must boycott Israel NOW! 
Adapted from "Une occupation de neuf millards de dollars »  written by Amélie 
Tendland and posted on the website of the Canadian human  rights organization 
Alternatives. For full text, see :  
_http://www.alternatives.ca/article2967.html_ 
(http://www.alternatives.ca/article2967.html)  
Distributed by PAJU (Palestinian and  Jewish Unity) 
_WWW.PAJUMONTREAL.ORG_ (http://www.pajumontreal.org/)  



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