Report on Israel’s aid subversion makes shocking reading
By Jonathan Cook
in Israel – Diplomats may have a reputation for greyness, obfuscation,
even hypocrisy, but few have found themselves compared to a serial
killer, let alone one who devours human flesh.
That honour befell Laars Faaborg-Andersen, the European Union’s
ambassador to Israel, last week when Jewish settlers launched a social
media campaign casting him as Hannibal Lecter, the terrifying character
from the film The Silence of the Lambs. An image of the Danish diplomat
wearing Lecter’s prison face mask was supposed to suggest that Europe
needs similar muzzling.
The settlers’ grievance relates to European aid, which has provided
temporary shelter to Palestinian Bedouin families after the Israeli army
demolished their homes in the occupied territories near Jerusalem. The
emergency housing has helped them remain on land coveted by Israel and
the settlers.
European officials, outraged by the Lecter comparison, have reminded
Tel Aviv that, were it to abide by international law, Israel would be
taking responsibility for these families’ welfare.
While Europe may think of itself as part of an enlightened West,
using aid to defend Palestinians’ rights, the reality is less
reassuring. The aid may actually be making things worse.
Shir Hever, an Israeli economist who has spent years piecing together
the murky economics of the occupation, has published a new report that
makes shocking reading.
Like others, he believes international aid has allowed Israel to
avoid footing the bill for its occupation. But he goes further. His
conclusion – one that may surprise Israel’s settlers – is that at least
78 per cent of humanitarian aid intended for Palestinians ends up in
Israel’s coffers.
The sums involved are huge. The Palestinians under occupation are
among the most aid-dependent in the world, receiving more than $2bn from
the international community each year. According to Hever, donors could
be directly subsidising up to a third of the occupation’s costs.
