non-viable economy of the West Bank to shine. Take the funds from abroad and take Israel's security forces out of this political entity and there is no "Palestinian state".

We constantly see reports of the miraculous "Palestinian" economy producing a wealth of Mercedes in Ramallah. More than in Tel Aviv we're told. Why are there so many Mercedes in Ramallah? Foreign aid, suckers. "Palestinians" have received more foreign aid per capita than anyone else in history. It's virtually all going to fund terror or the good life for well connected terrorists and their hangers on.

Doesn't surprise me. The author of this pathetic article had rather see the Fatah thugs steal every cent donated to Palestine. Accord him the credit or not, he's an astute economic administrator with international respect and admiration. He is overseeing sound economic planning and transparent budgets. Dr. Fayyad is our man, and we stand by him, until Palestine is born. Now go write some real articles Trengo, your propaganda about Dr. Fayyad is pathetic.

Since the Oslo Accords, the PA received some $14 billion to 20 billion in international aid, according to a 2007 Funding for Peace coalition (FPC) report to the British Parliament. Each Palestinian received $4.000 to $8.000 per year. The PA received “the highest per capita aid transfer in the history of foreign aid anywhere”, according to former World Bank country director for Gaza and the West Bank, Nigel Roberts. Not surprisingly, hundreds of thousands of Gazans spent more than $300 million in less than two week shopping spree, after Hamas blew up the border with Egypt.Yet the Palestinian economy is in ruins. More explanations at : http://xrl.us/bi7j5

without the bravado and charisma which we normally view in Palestian/Arab leaders. I like his approach. He was also photographed as a runner in a Palestinian cause in the Westbank. I trust running over self-inflated perorations. Just one person's view.

Nour, Where are the Billions invested in Palestine over the last decade ? Can you provide an answer that will not blame Israel ?

Arafat squirreled away billions in donations, that to this day nobody knows where the money is or who controls it. Arafat took nothing, and made "Palestine" where there was none before (at least in the past 2000+ years). Nobody pines for the return of ancient Palestine, because the ancient Palestinians disappeared (unlike the Jews, who for 1900 years were refugees without rights wherever in the world they went). Is Fayyad "better" than Arafat? Well, he is nowhere near as charismatic, and he's nowhere near as nefarious a crook or terrorist. From following him for the past years, Fayyad appears to be the doggedly determined technocrat the Pals need. However, we have yet to know if he's a one man show. Donations shmonations, of course his economy is propped up. However, there is an economy and history won't know for many years yet if Fayyad was a nation builder or not. There are simply too many Palestinians (and other Arabs and Iranians) who want to pull the rug out from under him and make "Palestine" a backwards Islamic welfare state.

Why are you building the fence ? can you give me an answer without blaming the palestinians?

Thankyou for this very well written honest article. Honest Arab politicians dont exist.

Mary Parker, we are building the fence, the wall, to keep out terrorists. I suggest you google "suicide bombings in Israel" where your question will be answered. DUH !

Israel then and now lives on foreign Donations and American aid/diplomatic cover in the UN and NPT treaty. Avi Trengo, can you guess the number of billions Israel received since its creation in 1948?

The economic advantages of the fence - for both people have already been proven. Israel and the west bank were in deep recession due to mutual friction. Once separated by the fence, each side could start to rebuild their life as well as their economy. Israel has done it successfully, the Palestinians are still working on it and I encourage them to take care of their future without putting any blame on anyone. Hope you got the answer you were looking for . In Any case, it is time Israel will ask the UN court in the Hague to reverse it's previous ruling. The advantage the fence brought to the human rights on both people (IDF is out of the Palestinians cities most of the time now) and the reduced friction prove the Hague court was wrong.

We don't need the American donations, which for the most part prop up the American military-industrial complex, not Israel's economy. You show what a naive, gullible and ignorant talkbacker you are. You obviously did not research before your posting, and you have no idea what Israel's economy is like. Here's a start: look at your computer, look at your cellphone, and understand that lots of it was developed in Israel. Then take your disk-on-key (invented in Israel) and throw it in the garbage if you want to boycott us. And, of course, Israel was forced out and Jews were turned into refugees 2000 years ago. The squatters in Israel ever since were forced upon us. We actually are willing to share our land with them today, but they don't seem to be willing.

in this discussion about your article. That I disagree with your (purported) view of Mr. Fayyad is irrelevant to the above comment. Please keep on dialoging!

Am i glad, that i not yet pay taxes (at least, income), but proudly keep leeching the state. No new uniforms, no new Mercedes with mah money. And i got the answer to #2 Chaim: Would you prefer to drive a Lada? :D

...I find it appalling that you try and run a pitiful logical fallacy against a Palestinian in a talkback. "Have you stopped beating your wife yet?" It is pathetic what some of the columnists here have started to write, and this hit piece against Fayyad is no different. And then you have the audacity, in fact it is quite rude, to expect Nour to be able to answer a logical fallacy about "billions invested in Palestine". I dunno buster, how many billions of that infrastructure and building projects that were paid for by the international community did Israel destroy with it mighty armed forces? Eh?

#16 Sohnes. The many Mercedes being driven around Ramallah are real enough. However, "Palestine" is a fictional state with a fictional economy. Like Neverland, Oz or Atlantis. Chanelling billions of foreign aid dollars into terror and Mercedes Benz for well connected terrorists does not equal an economy. It's time for Israel to end the ridiculous and dangerous charade forever by massively settling and annexing Judea and Samaria.

Nour asked: "Avi Trengo prefers the rampant corruption of Fatah? " How would you characterize this question ? ( BTW, a person asking such question is most likely a Hamas supporter)

survey. Not that this is authorotative in any way of course, but it certainly highlights Fayyad as an emerging leader not only in Palestine but the whole world. Avi Trengo has a lot to learn, like drawing lessons from Dr. Fayyad. Israeli leaders have a lot to learn from him in the areas of integrity and transparency.

...it actually did not even warrant a reply. Not even the slighest bit of effort at neutrality, a pillar of responsible journalism. I think Trengo should stay home and peel potato instead. His years of "better" journalism are in the distant past! Like Fayyad or not, we're finally going to have a country and if he doesn't like it he can return to his parent's country and give us a break.

You just proved you're totally inept and ignorant of the situation on the ground. Reducing the entire Palestinian cause to the pathetic show-down between Fatah and Hamas, both equallty guilty of gangsterism and incompetence, is simply ridiculous. No, I don't take sides, nor do I think that either of these parties represent the Palestinian people and their just quest for freedom and the right to self-determination. Believe it or not Trengo, some Palestinians are actually independent-minded. Isn't that amazing? Praise the Lord!