Unemployment is rife in the West and the East. The only difference in Gaza is that they can depend on UN aid to help out, as they have done for decades. Millions of others do not have that option. There is not one country in the Globe that does not have this problem. Before the crisis Gaza already had a high unemployment rate and a high birth rate. So, cheer up, You have it better than some in the world and no worse than some others. (and I am not comparing to the luxurious West who is not the norm of most)

I agree, JO, even in the so called 'rich West' there are many people living below poverty line, without work...governments have sociasl aid- what is Hamas doing- besides arming themselves? They are the 'democratically elected government'- why don't the Palestinians ask them- instead of whining for help from the West etc... thye have become totally dependent on aid- how pathetic- and still blaming Israel for it. get off your duffs and create work- clean up, repair- instead of waiting for cement and bricks- make your own- be inventive- no- not crude rockets- houses.... if there ever was a people and country with a one-track mind, Palestine is it. Instead of thinking of ways to destroy Israel and kill Jews- think of ways to improve your lives. Stop using Israel as an excuse for everything- it is getting very boring.

and that is problem: relying on aid- the West gave money to rebuild, food etc... for years and years- more than any country in the world ever received- now it is a given: gimme more, more more... what happened to the money? It's time to get away from the trough- and DO something..... stop relying on hand outs- or starve.

The continually put the horse before the donkey, so to speak. So Osam believes that Allah threw the Jews out of Israel 2000 years because of crimes against Muslims, who didn't exist until 600 years later. So, according the Osam - Jews now possess the secrets of time travel. You're an idiot. Many Imams (one's you denounce, of course) DO support the case of Israel to exist and the return of Jews to their land based on the Koranic verses. Like verses in the Tenach and the Bible, the Koran mentions Jews were thrown out for their indiscretions (2nd time) but allowed back in and never shall the Lord wave his hand over them in anger again. I think you should spend less time complaining about #23 mocking the Quran and more time reading it yourself, and demanding your own Muslims stop bastardizing it to support their greedy, blood lust.

Welfare aid money, that taken by Pals for decades now, are to be spent locally - to help those in poverty. It was meant to build infrastructure but almost always was diverted to weapons and corruption. Still is. In Israel, the aid given is ONLY military aid, which is ONLY spent in America - so it's not so much aid to Israel as it is aid to the US-based economy. The fact that yeshiva men live below the poverty level is a whole other issue that is based in their socio-economic beliefs and large families. Still, they are Israelis and no one deserves to starve.

A good article in the Wall Street Journal back in Feb cited the growing family sizes and radicalized teenagers of Gaza solely because of the aid. Because Gazans receive food and housing aid, fuel and healthcare, there is little to occupy their mind except killing Jews and having more children. In normal countries where forces are allowed to work, people have as many children as they can afford and can nurture. In the ME when money wasn't an issue, families grew large and now we have teenagers who can't find jobs, are easily impressionable, and are basically a ball of mis-directly energy. They need after-school and social programs so much more than food and welfare aid. In the States, welfare comes with an obligation of community service.