Israeli Electric Company Cuts Palestinian Supply Due to Debt

[Purveyor]

By The Associated Press
JERUSALEM — Apr 4, 2016, 12:33 PM ET

Israel's state electric company on Monday reduced power to a major West Bank city, saying it would take similar steps in other Palestinian areas over the next two weeks because of unpaid debt.

The Israel Electric Corp. said it had reduced its supply to Bethlehem by 50 percent, days after doing so in the city of Jericho. The company said the internationally-backed Palestinian Authority owes it nearly $460 million.

"The company's management stressed that it intends to take all available means to collect the debt and prevent it from growing further," it said in a statement.

Israel provides electricity to the West Bank through several Palestinian distribution companies. Last year, it briefly cut off power to parts of the West Bank several times because of the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority's heavy debts. It has also deducted money from regular tax transfers to the Palestinians to help cover the debts.

more...

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/gaza-fishermen-head-sea-israel-expands-fishing-zone-38134620

[Fozzledick]

1. How can they expect to run their own state when they can't even pay their electric bill?

[COLGATE4]

2. Perhaps building too many tunnels has

depleted the coffers?

[Fozzledick]

3. Nah, this is the West Bank, and knives are cheap.

I suspect most of the aid money has somehow found it's way to Switzerland.

[COLGATE4]

4. Yep. The 'leaders' are very fond of numbered

Swiss accounts.

[Little Tich]

5. If the Palestinians were allowed to develop a functioning economy, I'm sure this would never happen.

If anyone want to know why the PA has no money to pay their bills take a look at this:

The economic costs of the Israeli occupation for the occupied Palestinian territory, by the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy in cooperation with the Applied Research Institute- Jerusalem (ARIJ), September 2011
http://www.un.org/depts/dpa/qpal/docs/2012Cairo/p2%20jad%20isaac%20e.pdf

[King_David]

6. That's not the reason:

Arafat 'diverted $300m of public money to Swiss bank account'


http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/palestinianauthority/1446309/Arafat-diverted-300m-of-public-money-to-Swiss-bank-account.html

[Little Tich]

8. I thought Arafat was dead and had no impact on the Palestinian economy. n/t

[King_David]

10. Imagine if all that money was not stolen and invested ....

WOW

[Little Tich]

11. I thought all investments in Palestine were at a net loss because of Israel?

Besides, 300 million USD isn't that much when compared to the cost of the Israeli occupation for Palestine: "Over USD 4.5 billion per year, a full 56% of GDP, is the cost (in terms of both foregone revenues and higher costs of raw materials) for the Palestinians for not being able to access their own resources." (http://www.un.org/depts/dpa/qpal/docs/2012Cairo/p2%20jad%20isaac%20e.pdf)

[King_David]

12. Imagine if they accepted Jews were there to stay

May as well be neighbors.
Imagine how far ahead economically they would of been.
Imagine if the world hadn't decided Jews cannot live among us and then suddenly Jews can't live away from us in their own country?

[Little Tich]

13. Do you really think the way Israel treats Palestinians in the occupied territories is conducive

towards peaceful coexistence?

The reason why I'm asking is actually because I strongly believe it's the opposite and I don't understand your reasoning.

[King_David]

14. Long before there was any occupation Jews were not accepted or acceptable living in the Middle East

Or anywhere in the world .
Now it's not only the Palestinians saying it's not acceptable for Jews to live in the Middle East ... Europe, who has been expelling Jews for centuries now believes Jews shouldn't live among them or away from them in Israel.
The immediate neighbors of the Jewish state don't want us anywhere near them either.
The extreme right and extreme left and the BDS groupies and ex pink Floyd aging POS has-Beens don't think Jews should live in Israel .

[shira]

7. Hamas has received 100's of millions to rebuild Gaza. Just about all has gone into tunnels....

...in which Palestinian children are used as slave labor.

When the Palestinian leadership can't care less about the children, what makes you think they care about developing a functional economy? Corrupt Palestinian leaders get their money. They're under no pressure to make things happen for the people.

Notice BDS isn't encouraging Palestinian leadership to work with Israelis to build an economy?

That's part of the problem right there.

[Little Tich]

9. So not being allowed to develop a functioning economy has nothing to do with the Palestinian economy

being in such bad shape?

Are you suggesting that if only the Palestinians stopped digging tunnels under Jericho, they would be able to pay the electricity bill?