Romney Tells the Truth About Palestinians

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright August 3, 2012
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            Speaking to reporters in Gdansk, Poland, GOP presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney gave the cold truth about differences between Israelis and Palestinians.  “As you come here and you see the GDP per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000 and compare that with GDP per capita just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capital, you notice a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality,” Romney told a group of Jewish donors at a Jerusalem fundraiser.  Citing economist David Landes’ 1998 “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations,” Romney antagonized Palestinians who do not like to admit culture makes a big difference between Israel and Arabs.  “He says if you could learn anything from the economic history of the world it is this:  Culture makes all the difference.”

               Romney nailed precisely the similarity between the U.S. and Israel: Both Western democracies, believing to a large extent on an open society, competition and free market capitalism.  Palestinians have always blamed Israel for denying them economic opportunity, selling the myth to sympathetic countries.  “And as I come here, and I look out over this city [Jerusalem] and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and few other things,” said Romney, rubbing Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his senior advisor Saeb Erekat the wrong way.  Palestinians, or the Arab world for that part, don’t like to acknowledge Israel’s Westernized success story.  Since Sept. 11, U.S. officials haven’t tolerated Palestinian excuses for suicide bombing, prompting former President George W. Bush to reject the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat.

              Sept. 11 was a game-changer for U.S. Mideast policy.  Before Bin Laden flew airliners into the World Trade Center, the U.S. Mideast policy attempted neutrality between Israelis and Palestinians.  After Sept. 11, official U.S. policy could not accept any Palestinian resistance that included suicide bombing.  Bush was the first U.S. president to stop business as usual with nations practicing terrorism, for whatever reason.  Since Sept. 11, Israel became the key U.S. ally in the fight against terror.  When Hamas staged a bloody coup against the PLO June 14, 2007, Palestinian officials began their civil war leaving its people divided between Hamas and the PLO.  Hamas refused to accept any prior Palestinian peace agreement with Israel, officially declaring war on the Jewish State.  From that point on, the U.S. had no Palestinian partner with whom to negotiate a peace deal.

            PLO officials denounced Romney’s remarks as a “racist statement,” when, in fact, Mitt just said the obvious.  “This man doesn’t realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation.“ When Israel occupied Egypt’s Gaza Strip, Jordan’s West Bank and Syria’s Golan Heights as spoils to the 1967 “Six Day War,” Palestinians claimed those territories as their own.  Before the 1967 war, Palestinians held no sovereign territory in the Middle East.  Were it not for former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon leaving Gaza Sept. 12, 2005 and offering the West Bank to the PLO in exchange for peace, Palestinians would not have a sliver of sovereign territory.  Since Hamas’ Ismail Haniyeh took over Gaza in 2005, he’s had plenty of time to morph Gaza’s economy with the help of billions in foreign aid.  Abbas’ West Bank has also had plenty of time.

            PLO and Hamas officials like to blame Israel for their lack of prosperity.  When all is said and done, Romney states the obvious when he says culture make a difference in Palestinian and Israeli prosperity.  “It seems to me this man [Romney] lacks the information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people . . .He also lacks knowledge about the Israelis themselves.  I have not heard any Israeli official speak about cultural superiority,” said Erekat, still smarting from Mitt’s comments.  Whether Erekat’s ever heard such statements from Israelis, Palestinians officials often call Israelis imperious and arrogant.  Romney stated the obvious that there’s cultural parallels between the U.S. and Israeli work ethic that drives both countries’ ambitions and prosperity.  Recognizing culture is the only way to bridge conflicts between two very different peoples.

              Romney’s public remarks about cultural differences between Israelis and Palestinians offer hope for the future.  Instead of envying Israeli accomplishments, Palestinians should try to embrace the industrious elements of Israeli culture into their own traditions.  Blaming Israel for a lack of economic success fails to see the kind of work ethic at play in Israeli culture.  Palestinian officials didn’t like when Mitt called Jerusalem the capital of Israel, staying open, should he become president, to moving the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem.  However Romney offended Palestinians, they should seize the moment to follow up on new opportunities for peace.  Resolving their own civil war between Gaza and the West Bank, Palestinians must start somewhere for an independent state.  Romney speaks the truth about how too much cultural conflict prevents Palestinians from making peace.

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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