World Donors Pledge $7.4B For Palestine

(AP)  World donors pledged US$7.4 billion (euro5.1 billion) over the next three years for the Palestinians at a conference Monday, a massive sum that beats the Palestinians' own expectations, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said.

"The real winner today is the Palestinian state," Kouchner told a news conference after the gathering of nearly 90 countries and international organizations in Paris. "We wanted US$5.6 billion, we have US$7.4 billion, not bad."

The Palestinian government had asked for US$5.6 billion (euro3.8 billion) in 2008-2010 to shore up its economy amid a renewed push for a Palestinian state.

"Our feeling is great, this is generous. It is a vote of confidence for the program, and a sign of solidarity on the Palestinian question," Palestinian Planning Minister Samir Abdullah told The Associated Press.

He confirmed the overall figure and said the pledges include US$2.9 billion (euro2 billion) for 2008.

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said, "We take it as an endorsement." He called it part of the process for "establishing an independent Palestine."

The Palestinians are seeking to ride on the momentum of resumed peace efforts after a U.S.-sponsored conference in Annapolis, Maryland, last month.

The sum pledged Monday was substantial even compared to the more than US$10 billion (euro7 billion) that donor countries have given to the Palestinians over the past decade, according to the World Bank. Officials have said the Palestinians have received more international aid on a per capita basis than any other nation or group of people in the postwar period.

World leaders at the conference also urged Israel to ease restrictions on movement in the West Bank and Gaza to make a recovery of the Palestinian economy possible.

Some 90 countries and international organizations came together in Paris for the biggest pledging conference in more than a decade.

As numbers trickled in, many donors were focusing their aid on 2008, leaving plans for future budget years hazy. That made it difficult to keep a running tally of overall contributions.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice pledged US$555 million (euro382.5 million) for 2008. However, the money includes about US$400 million (euro275 million) that the White House has already announced but that has not been approved by Congress.

"The Palestinian Authority is experiencing a serious budgetary crisis," Rice said. "This conference is literally the government's last hope to avoid bankruptcy."

The United States provides more than US$2 billion (euro1.4 billion) a year in aid to Israel, its closest Mideast ally and single largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. Egypt, the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, receives about US$1.3 billion (euro900 million).

[grazinggoat]

CBS News: ''Senate Approves $70 Billion In War Funds
Money For U.S. Military Efforts In Iraq, Afghanistan A Victory For Bush And GOP Allies''

-$70 Billions, for more destruction, more misery-making in those two countries. And we pledge a ridiculously tiny 555 millions (roughly a 0.8%) of our invasion-destruction-WAR budget. What a warmonger nation we became! Pitiful!

[grazinggoat]

This tiny little country which is surrounded by trillions of angry Muslims who want them dead and gone has given the world medical things which has saved thousands of people yet the world still hates them.. Without Israel we would not be where we are today...

Posted by Gaye5 at 09:26 AM : Dec 18, 2007

-IDIOTTT, MOST of Biological, Medical and Genetics discoveries and innovations are done in USA, Europe. Israeli researchers are ''industrial-spying'' (politely said for stealing) on Europeans and Americans researchers, research facilities. Remove this thick blinder layer from your eyes, Gay5. You are such an obvious biased commentator.

[neoconrcrazy]

They give 7.4 billion to the Muslims yet Israel gets nothing - gaye5

that''s not correct - israel has asked for 23''000''000''000 (23 billion) from america to "re-settle" and "restitute" palestinians IF a final peace agreement is finalized.

israel also recieves each year up to 7 billion in "non-refundable loans" (funny name, wish I had a few!), both economic & military.

so, don''t think israel "is getting nothing" - some think it''s obcene.

[neoconrcrazy]

If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.

If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.
Posted by Gaye5

whoa dude! let''s take things one step at a time. First, let''s give back the stolen palestinian lands and settle that grievance - then take a new look about how best to get more educational opportunities to Arab countries who sorely need it.

[gaye5]

The Global Islamic population is approximately 1,200,000,000, or 20% of the world population, and since 1988 they have received 7 Nobel prizes.
The Global Jewish population is approximately 14,000,000, or about 0.02% of the world population.
Yet they have received 129 Nobel Prizes in Literature:
Peace: Economics: and Medicine:

They give 7.4 billion to the Muslims yet Israel gets nothing and it is not the Jews who are not promoting brain washing the children in military training camps, teaching them how to blow themselves up and cause maximum deaths of Jews and other non Muslims.

The Jews don''t hijack planes, nor kill athletes at the Olympics.

The Jews don''t traffic slaves, nor have leaders calling for Jihad and death to all the Infidels.

Perhaps the world''s Muslims should consider investing more in standard education and less in blaming the Jews for all their problems.

Regardless of your feelings about the crisis between Israel and the Palestinians and Arab neighbors, even if you believe there is more culpability on Israel''s part , the following two sentences really say it all:

If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence.

If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.

[gaye5]

Great, they rake in money from countries Like America, Australia, Canada, and Britain and now some idiots give another 7.4 billion... and of course as we have seen in the past the money will NOT go to the people but into the hands of weapon makers and the leaders.. The poor children will continue to stave.. Then we have the tiny little place like Israel which is only as big as lake Michigan and these same people don''t give Israel a thing yet it is this tiny little country which has given the world more in the way of medical and industrial miracles than any other country per head of population.. This tiny little country which is surrounded by trillions of angry Muslims who want them dead and gone has given the world medical things which has saved thousands of people yet the world still hates them.. Without Israel we would not be where we are today...

[underdogus]

US official issues statement in support of ISRAEL airstrikes in GAZA!! yeah buddy!!

[chitown639]

The Palestinians get $7 billion, great!!! Hopefully, the money will be use on the poor Palestinian people, who live like prisoners in their own land. But, more than likely most of that money will be use on weapons. But, big donations are nothing new for that region. The U.S. has given billions in aid to Isreal for decades, including to the Isreali military. The U.S. has given Isreal some of the most advanced weapontry, including ''The Bomb''. Our politicians run their election campaigns promising unwavering support for Isreal, clearly pandering to the U.S. large Jewish population. Many of the foes we have today is in response to that unwavering support for Isreal.

[keithle1]

"Nazis! That money should have gone to Israel! What is this "Palestine" that you speak of?!"

It''s all about Israel in the USA.

Israel, Israel, Israel. 24-7.

[neoconrcrazy]

"The settlement movement has become closely affiliated to Jewish religious nationalism, which claims boundaries of modern Israel based on Genesis 15:18: "God made a covenant with Abram and said, ''To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates''." BBC London

what are we doing in iraq?
iraq belongs to israel - that''s His last word.