Algeria handed over $35 million to the Palestinian Authority. I don’t know that I’ve heard of such a massive waste of money since they came out with that whole “pay as you go” cell phone system. The West has refused to keep throwing money at the PA. And because Palestine is oh so important, the Arabs must come to its aid. Yes, so important is Palestine in fact that the Algerian government needs to throw away money there while Algerians can hardly find proper housing or jobs. $35 million. Why not put that towards building these new housing units Boutef promised? Or improving the roads or communications? Why does Palestine require all of this money? Other people’s money. Not even Palestinian money, but Algerian, Saudi, and Emirati money. Why are Algerians paying Palestinian salaries? What have Palestinians ever done for Algeria? Nothing. What have they done in any Arab state but suck up money and resources, and cause chaos and trouble? Nothing. Why are Arabs putting up with them? Their conflict has caused more trouble than their little strip of land is worth. Honestly. Why are people so backward? Why do they refuse to move forward? Why don’t they take responsibility for their own actions and countries? Why do they send thier children to die before they have finished puberty? I do not understand.

The over arching question I have though is this: why do poor Arab countries foot the bill for the Palestinians? I believe this should be reserved for the wealthy Arabs in the Gulf and such areas, rather than the ones who live in squalor and are still “catching up”. Why should Algerians, Egyptians or Jordanians have resources diverted from their countries to serve Palestinians? I can actually see this for Jordanians (are there any of them left?), perhaps Egyptians, but for Algerians or others, no. We are too far removed from them; their battle is not ours. It has never been. Algeria should focus on improving itself before pumping its money into a failed system that supports behavior Algerians would never tolorate in their own country. It is well known that in many Arab states, few people genuinely want to aid the Palestinians, given the fact that few of them actually pay what they promise to the PA. Talking to Lebanese, Syrians or “native” Jordanians, one often gets the feeling that only Arabs who do not have to deal with the Palestinians on a daily basis really want to be more Palestinian than the Palestinians. These feelings are totally irrational. Leave the Palestinians and the Israelis to those who made the mess in the first place, not “the Arabs” as many often believe, but to the Syrians, Palestinians and others in the immediate region who started the mess in the first place. The costs are not worth the potential benefits to continue with this nonsense from the Maghrib. This does not come out of hatred for Palestinans, but rather out of concern for national and regional priorities. Quite frankly, it is more beneficial to a North African state to have good inter-national relations with Israel than with the PA. This goes economically, diplomatically and socially. Trade with Israel, a developed, modern democracy, is more beneficial than trade with depressed Palestine. There is a wider selection of goods in Israel than in Palestine. Recognition or at least the maintainance of an amicable relationship on a non-recognized basis (similar to that of Tunisia) will result in better relations with the West and open more doors for Algeria in the international arena. Not to mention that new weaponry will be available for sale to Algeria because of this; modern Western weaponry at that. Israel sells American made and/or designed weapons to China of all countries, as well as India. Certainly if Algeria were to recogize her, she would open this avenue to the North African state. Further, many Algerians in the diaspora are of Jewish lineage and fear returning to Algeria because of anti-Jewish/Israeli sentiments in some parts of the population. This would allow our Jewish country men to relax and would promote a healthy relationship between Muslim Algerians and Jewish Algerians. The current situation is not healthy.

But I digress.

Bottom line is this. Foreign aid is not bad, and aiding those who truely need help is not either. But blowing millions of dollars on a failed “state” apparatus while postponing/delaying/never completing projects for internal development at home is wrong. It should not be happening, not in Algeria, not anywhere. Algerians do not have money to waste that way. Qatris, Saudis, Kuwaitis may, but Algerians could use some aid as well. Palestinians are not the only Arabs in need. I will be waiting to see what Algeria gets out of this. (My guess is absolutely, positively nothing.)

Nouri’s Note: Let me be very clear so that there is no misunderstanding:
1) I am not a Zionist; but I am not an Arabist. Jew, Arabs, get over yourselves. Take what you’ve got and make the best of it.

2) I do not hate Palestinians. I just don’t want to have to pay for them at my own expense when Algerians are in as much need (minus the military occupation; actually on second thought…)

3) Palestine/Israel is not something I particularly care about and I believe that they suck up attention from more pressing matters in the ME/NA, and, as a result, have led many Westerners and Arabs alike to believe that all problems there stem from this one conflict. No, they stem from autocratic egos and silly ideologies.

4) I don’t think Arabs “care” about this junk. Again, there are more pressing matters at hand than a little strip of desert by the sea. If it came down to providing housing, education, general welfare, and prosperity to Algeria, Lebanon, Egypt, where ever and liberating Palestine, I think most Arabs would chose liberating their own homelands through the stuff I mentioned before first.

5) Palestinians are nice folks, they just need to stop pretending as if the Arab world ought to revolve around them.