The Corruption of the Palestinian Ruling Class

The elite classes who have ruled the Palestinians for 175 years have two things in common, they have not been elected and they have been corrupt. Beginning in the mid-19th century, the 'notables' class took advantage of the Ottoman Empire's attempts to modernise land tenure to take control over most of the cultivable land of Palestine and turn the 'fellaheen' from peasants who had worked their village mush'a land for centuries into serfs who, at best, paid rack-rent and usurious rates on interest to their a'yan oppressors or, at worst, became landless peons, day-labourers working on large estates or living in city slums. Its understandable that the ruling class was unable to prevent Zionist immigration into Palestine when their major focus was maintaining their wealth from continued exploitation of the working classes and maintaining power in the conflict with their peers and manipulating the British administrators for their advantage.

Today there is an example of the corruption of Fatah, PLO, Hamas leaders so ironic you couldn't make it up and be believed. Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh who previously served as the Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and as Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip was assassinated in Iran by Mossad. Members of his family have reportedly purchased a 6 million shekel (approximately $1.8 million) luxury villa in Omer, an affluent, predominantly Jewish town near Beersheba in Israel. Exactly which ones of his seven, eight or nine wives or ten children were involved is uncertain, if any.

The Hamas leaders who have dedicated their lives to the Palestinian resistance include: Khaled Mashal, the former head of the Hamas political bureau who resides in Qatar and is estimated to be worth at least $4 billion. Mousa Abu Marzouk, a senior member of the Hamas politburo and financial operator. He is worth between 3 and $4 billion. Prior to his assassination, Ismail Haniyeh the head of the Hamas political bureau was also at $4 billion. This troika definitely believed in sharing the wealth … but only amongst each other. Their personal wealth demonstrates that the Arab leaders and organisation who supply the funds for the Palestinian cause, the resistance, are unable to ensure any accountability. Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas, the Fatah, PLO and PLA elites have also curruptly used funds for Palestine for their own advantage and for the purchase of loyalty from their PLO cadres.

PLO corruption in the West Bank has been regularly reported and is generally known amongst the Palestinians themselves. The inability of the public to prevent corruption demonstrates the power the minority of PLO 'cadres' have over the majority of the population.