Palestinians Prove Totally Incompetent
When it comes to the nuts and bolts (literally) of actually trying to run a state, it turns out that terrorists aren't really all that good at getting the trash picked up. Or not letting the trash ruin the local water supply:
If the Palestinians go ahead with building a sewage pipe from the Gaza Strip to the sea, this could cripple the new desalination plant near Ashekelon... A Water Commission report warns that "if the Ashkelon desalination plant is crippled due to the sewage flowing from the Gaza Strip into the sea, the outcome would be intolerable for Israel's water sector. Any attempt to lay a pipeline to drain sewage into the sea must be physically stopped." The report says that in addition to the damage caused by putting the plant out of business, the sewage would pollute Israel's beaches.
Now, one might be inclined to find in this Palestinian incompetence a nefarious motive. But, even in matters that concern the Palestinians, it is still never a good idea to ascribe to mendacity what can just as easily be explained by incompetence - and when it comes to managing civilian infrastructure, the Palestinians really are just that useless. Raising a generation of kids to be terrorists apparently leaves one ill-prepared when it is engineers that are called for.
UPDATE: Recognizing how overwhelmed the Palestinians are, the State Department is springing into action:
America to press Israel, Palestinians to move forward on Sharm understandings, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says; Israel may be expected to hand over more West Bank towns, release prisoners.
Makes perfect sense. If we're lucky, Israel will release the Hamas terrorists early enough for them to run in the upcoming elections. Because that'd be great.
If the Palestinians go ahead with building a sewage pipe from the Gaza Strip to the sea, this could cripple the new desalination plant near Ashekelon... A Water Commission report warns that "if the Ashkelon desalination plant is crippled due to the sewage flowing from the Gaza Strip into the sea, the outcome would be intolerable for Israel's water sector. Any attempt to lay a pipeline to drain sewage into the sea must be physically stopped." The report says that in addition to the damage caused by putting the plant out of business, the sewage would pollute Israel's beaches.
Now, one might be inclined to find in this Palestinian incompetence a nefarious motive. But, even in matters that concern the Palestinians, it is still never a good idea to ascribe to mendacity what can just as easily be explained by incompetence - and when it comes to managing civilian infrastructure, the Palestinians really are just that useless. Raising a generation of kids to be terrorists apparently leaves one ill-prepared when it is engineers that are called for.
UPDATE: Recognizing how overwhelmed the Palestinians are, the State Department is springing into action:
America to press Israel, Palestinians to move forward on Sharm understandings, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says; Israel may be expected to hand over more West Bank towns, release prisoners.
Makes perfect sense. If we're lucky, Israel will release the Hamas terrorists early enough for them to run in the upcoming elections. Because that'd be great.
