Palestinians are being robbed by Israel By Amira Hass, AMIRA HASS is the Ramallah correspondent for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. IT IS EVIDENTLY difficult to scrub off the sticker that is glued onto the front window. That's why when a new car from Germany or South Korea or the United States rolls onto the packed streets of Gaza or Ramallah, it generally has the big label with thick, red Hebrew letters forming the word "Checked" stuck on its windshield for several months. The label is a mark of the special customs and security checks conducted at the Israeli seaports of Ashdod or Haifa, which serve as the main entrances for most of the foreign goods bound for the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinians import all sorts of products: water pumps from Sweden, bulldozers and boxes of corn flakes from the United States, plastic toys from China, washing machines from France and cheese from Denmark — and virtually all of them reach their destinations only after they've been through Israeli port authorities and Israeli security checks. At the ports, Palestinian importers are required to pay the Israeli authorities the value-added tax of 17%, as well as whatever custom taxes are due on goods that come in on their way to the West Bank or Gaza. These transactions (along with direct Palestinian transactions with Israeli firms and merchants) last year yielded revenues of $711 million. But whose revenues are they? To judge by the actions of the Israeli Cabinet on Sunday, the money belongs to Israel. The Cabinet announced that it was going to withhold Palestinian tax and customs revenues, at least for the moment, as a response to Hamas' electoral victory. Until the money is released — if it is released — the Israeli treasury will earn the interest. But it's not supposed to work this way. According to the Oslo accords (and by any standards of common sense and basic justice), the revenues should serve the people who ultimately buy the goods. These tax receipts are not donations of goodwill from Israel; they are not charity. This is not like, say, Dutch foreign aid money, which is given freely by the Dutch people and can be withheld if the Dutch choose to stop giving it. These are tax revenues that are due to the people in the territories where the goods are headed, and the Israelis have no right to hold them up. Since 1994, these revenues, transferred each month from the Israeli Ministry of Finance, have made up a critical portion of the Palestinian Authority budget. When Israel briefly stopped transferring the revenues in 2001, pressure from the EU and other countries — including the U.S. — forced Israel to reverse its decision. Unfortunately, after the Hamas victory, such pressure seems unlikely. Last year, the $711 million constituted almost two-thirds of the Palestinian Authority's revenues. (Only $383 million was collected in income and sales taxes within the West Bank and Gaza.) Even with all those revenues, there was still an $800-million shortfall in the Authority's $1.9-billion budget. Why are domestic tax receipts so low? Because the economy is in constant recession and "operates well below its potential," according to the World Bank. What debilitates and cripples the Palestinian economy is Israel's heavy, systematic restrictions on movement within the occupied territories — hundreds of roadblocks and military checkpoints that delay, prolong and sabotage normal economic activity and, hence, potential tax revenues. The Palestinian Authority cannot compensate for the "lost" — or perhaps it would be more accurate to say "stolen" — tax revenues. Its Ministry of Health, for example, has been unable to pay its contractors for hospital food, equipment or medicine for three months, and is $22 million in debt. Now, with Israel hijacking an additional $50 million or so each month, the ministry will not be able to pay the salaries of its 13,000 employees. The same is true with the approximately 40,000 employees of the Ministry of Education. In the Palestinian territories, 35% of residents between the ages of 20 and 24 were unemployed during the third quarter of 2005. About 43% live below the World Bank's poverty line, and 15% live in deep poverty — which means, according to the World Bank, that they are unable to meet subsistence needs. By taking their meager — but undoubtedly their own — revenues, Israel does not punish Hamas or persuade it to change its positions. It simply gives the Palestinians another reason to regard Israel as an aggressive and repressive occupying power. Full Article-LA TIMES

M.Dheere at first cirtizised Qanyare for starting the war, then hours later, he said he was wrong and now fully supports the coalation of the Khaaiimiinta is baheysatey, he was told to keep quite and join the American-led Isbaheysi. BTW: what is keeping yeey quite anyway, the old man can't even do anything, xarakaat malahan, M.Dheere muu jagada iskaga wareejiyo illeen ninkan buu laheesta u yahayee!

Xiin and Alle-Ubaahne, doodu ma ahan qoladan qabqablayaasha iyo kooxaha Islaamiga yaad taageeraysaa, halkaas xaajadu ma taagna, muhiimada aan aniga ka hadley waa un labada dhinac wey hubeysanyihiin, taasna la iskuma heesto iney hubeysanyihiin, waana xukkun raadis, taasna cid diideyso ma jirto, intaas ninkii igu khilaafsan wuu ka hadli karaa. tan kale ee ah, in qabqablayaasha ay arinta mareekanka wataan ee ah isticmaalka cardka argagixisnimada, wey iska cadahey taas in ay mareekan dabada ku wataan oo khaaimiin is baheesatey yihiin!

Talo fara wey ka baxdey

^^^ lool, classic stuff, even google knows dat Arsenal are crap.

Good job Admin, I like the new look, great stuff. ps: guys, it is only the front page, no change to the forum style

lets not question the intent of these good sheikhs , and even worse, yaanaan ayyaga iyo tuugta isku weel wax ku siin sxb xiin, malaha wadaada ku sheega markey qoorta ka jarayeen dad shacab aan hubeysneyn sida al fagh-hi studio dakkan dakkan laga dhigey iyo kuwa kaloo fara badan lamaadan socon bey ila tahey, wadaado dadka gumaadaya xaggeed ku aragtey adiga? wadaado hubeysan oo awood raadsi xaggeed ku aragtey? wadaado qofkii ku amar diida ciqaabaya xaggeed ku aragtey wadaado dadka ku amar taakleeya inteed ku aragtey bal ka soo jawaab su'aalahaas laciif saqiirka ah Tuugta kalena waaba tuugo,taas la iskuma heestaba, illeen qabqable waa un tuug sababtoo ah dad shicib buu asna laayaa xoog ku heestaa, haddee kuwan wadaadana iyaguna ma dhaamaan qabqablayaashan, runta yaan laga leexanin oo wixii jiro hala isku sheego, yaan la isku maaweelinin qabqable iyo wadaadada yaan la is barbardhigin, runta marka la taabtana waxba isma dhaamaan, waa laba kooxood oo hubeysan, hal u jeedda iyo mawqifna leh, taasoo ah "awwood kororsi iyo xukkun doon"

Raula, lol abaayaadiis karroon, waxaa i soo xasuusisey heestii dhuule "duufaan ku qaadiyo waa sahal dabeeshuye ayaan daadka kula tagin" marka dadkii daadkii eysan iska moosin ayaa wada qaadey ayagoo malaha islahaa qabowga iska celiya. Khaalid hoodeeyn soo dhawoow Suufi, halkanna maxaad ka soo doontey waa su'aalee waligeyba kugu maan aragee mise inaad dagaal waabsi nala soo gashaad rabtaa

^^ classic stuff Mr Stoic

^^ lool@Mr.Jibis, Mullah, nice one Liibaan. Naden, u just used "substantiation" don't forget Duq Castro's use of dictionary.com, he just gave u an idea, dat is, make sure it is from dictionary.com, to do dat, highlight it or link it to dictionary.com so we may be aware of its originality

^^^ I thought Smith's injury was a mini one at first untill I learned it was a major injury. North, I wouldnt say Chelsea would be any near to the finals.

Actually, I will say 45% of Soler's fall into that category, out of that 30% are ladies trying to use whatever they can find in dictionary.com theasures and so on! okey, that is reality, so if u r happen to be one of those, nothing to be ashamed of. but alot of smartness(me smart than u)going on here nowadayz, it is easy to identify those who abuse the words

Liverpool are through to the Quarter Finals of the FA Cup after a first half goal from Peter Crouch gave them a hard fought 1-0 5th Round win over Manchester United at Anfield today. Good stuff from Liverpool players, it was great to see both Arsenal and Man United beaten in just few dayz

WAR BANNAY OO HOGNAY ILAH IYO KITABLA JAMACA QURANKA IYO BARA BISINLA ANAN HILIBKAGA KA TABANMAYO ANIGUYE MARAQA WADKII GALAY AYAAN KUGU LA DHUUQIN EE I DHAF WALALO.. looooooooooooooooool@DOUBLE DECKER classic stuff wallaahi

^^^^lol@Baashi, leezigaal will surely like that website, it was dedicated to her

They should have opened the embassy in Baidao, hope the next foriegn embassy will be based in Kismaaayo Ps: It is good to have foriegn embassies scattered around the country in every town!!

^^^ waa laga yaabaa good to hear in la sii daayey culimada

kuwa wararka soo tabinaya ee dhahaya wadaada ayaa la xirey ayaanba laa yaabanahey, maxey u keenayaan war eysan ogeyn wuxuu yahey, markey xaqiijistaan sababta iyo waxa dhacey mey markaas soo shaac bixiyaan, ma dadka unbey jahwareerinayaan. the art of journalism ayaa ka maqan wariyaasha soomaali ku sheega, waa in la hubsada intaadan war so tabin, waa in aad waliba sii xaqiijisataa warkaas aad tabineyso, waa in uu warkaas noqdaa mid runta taabanaya and so on.

First time I seen Leezigaal having a topic of her own, what a world we live in, Leezy, nice come back anyway okey, keep posting the rumors, great topic indeed I don't have any rumours to tell except that my friend Tuujiye was kidnapped by three female drivers, this is not rumours, how they kidnapped him I don't know, maybe Leezigaal can bring more of that news!

^^187, sorry to dissapoint u, but ur team were not looking for a win, instead a draw, technically Liverpool missed many chances, and to get a late goal was just the result we needed. Thanks to Luis Garcia, and Gerard who missed the penalty!!

Duq Castro, wax kasta u diyaar garoow, dulqaadkana muuji, da' yeysan kula tagin, feejignooow Liibaan: Mr. maybe it is time you explain the SOL crowd your story, am aware that u r not Somali and I also seen your other story, but many others don't know how you are attached to Somali people and Islam in particular.

Wlcme back sxb BOB, long time baa noogu kaa danbeesay where have u been, mar kale gacma furan kusoo dhawoow, waad naga goosatey sxb, oo haddii aad xarootey ma xabbis unbaa la sii galaa xayyirkii wuu ka baxey baan islahaa Odeygii BOB.

Originally posted by Socod_badne: ^^What team do you support? Any chance: Vainglory FC? None other than the Kings Of Europe, Liverpool!

Chelsik was defeated, humiliated, trashed and was thrown out of the window by Midlsborough, what a disgrace, 3 goals to Midlsborough and none to the Mafia Side, great stuff by Boro On the other hand, Liverpool won the game easily against Wigan, and dat Arsenal escaped the defeat with a late draw, I wished Arsenal would lose but a draw is even disgrace to them, let them sink anyway

lol here we go, another Soma-Inc