Something is Rotten in the Muslim World
Before diving into the Israeli–Palestinian conflict it’s vital to understand the state of the modern Arab/Muslim world. Apart from Gulf petro-economies the most of Arab/Muslim countries are backward societies going nowhere in their development. The Pallywood’s soap opera had lasted long enough to distract the world from real problems plaguing the Muslim world – poverty, rampant corruption, lack of education, lack of ecosystem to support social and economic development, medieval society structure at all levels.
Why Israel with population 9 mln generates GDP of $395 Bln vs neighboring Jordan with 10 mln population and GDP of $45 Bln?
| Country | GDP, $Bln | Population, Mln | Area, mi² |
| Israel | 395 | 9 | 8,550 |
| Jordan | 45 | 10 | 34,495 |
| Pakistan | 278 | 217 | 340,509 |
Source: World Bank Data for 2019
The Bottomline of Israeli–Palestinian conflict
The only reason of ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ultimate refuse of Palestinian leadership to accept existence of Israel. It simply boils down to that.
Beggar’s economy
The Palestinian economy is a mix of beggar’s economy (by far the largest segment), agriculture, construction and shadow economy or crime to put it bluntly (drugs, weapons, smuggling, counterfeit goods, stolen cars).
Beggar’s economy is based on getting donations from UN and Arab countries. To get donations the Palestinian leadership peddles two perennial bestsellers: fight of Palestinian people for independence and sufferings of Palestinian people. Major buyers are Iran, Qatar and UN. The Palestinian leadership is the primary beneficiary of this funding which is both the source of wealth and power. Corruption is rampant, no transparency, cash transactions – these are rules of the game. There is no incentive for Palestinian leadership to change the scheme that worked for 70 years.
Pallywood narrative
To keep the status quo the Palestinian leadership maintains Pallywood narrative through incitement, a mix of religious and nationalist propaganda and myth of Israeli occupation delivered through education system and media channels fully controlled by authorities.
Three generations of Palestinian grew up on Pallywood narrative, now it has the life of its own. Even if there were fair elections any contender for leadership that does not support the Pallywood narrative is doomed.
Why Israel?
Israel is getting entirely unproportional amount of attention from the word. Why?
• UN hypocrisy and farce: The United Nations Human Rights Council, whose members are the world’s worst abusers of human rights, made it its business to issue resolutions condemning Israel with the rate Gatling gun. UNHRC do not see anything wrong in Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Pakistan or Sudan, they have Israel. UN has recently elected Iran to UN Commission on Woman’s Rights.
• Good old anti-Semitism
• Clash of civilizations: Modern democratic technologically advanced Israel, where women and LGBT rights are the society norm, is the very opposite of backward view of Iranian theocrats funding all shades and colors of Islamic terrorism from Peshawar to Syria.
• Cause celebre – Millions of children dying from malnutrition and diseases in Yemen and Sudan are boring but a Palestinian kid throwing stones at Israeli soldier armed to the teeth – that captures imagination and sells news.
• Palestinian narrative is a good sell to national minority electorates both in Europe and US for politicians building their careers on minority rights, like The Squad.
What if the Palestinian dream comes true?
Hypothetical scenario: Israel is destroyed and Palestine stretches from the river to the sea. It would be another Jordan (the best case scenario), Syria or Lebanon, just another backward shithole country embroiled in the same endless cycle of poverty and violence.
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