Leaked documents raise anger over Palestinian corruption

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — Documents leaked online detailing two attempts by Palestinian officials to misuse public funds have triggered outrage, highlighting the corruption and mismanagement critics say remains rampant in the Palestinian government. The furor over the documents comes as the Palestinian economy is stagnating and Palestinians grow increasingly displeased with government services. Palestinian Authority officials have defended their record on stamping out corruption, saying they've recovered millions of dollars in misspent funds. A senior Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to discuss the leak, confirmed the documents' authenticity to The Associated Press. The origin of the leak was not known and the documents had been circulated on Facebook. They have offered a rare glimpse into the wheeling and dealing of the Palestinian government, long bogged down by rivalries.

One document, signed by Majdi al-Khaldi, a diplomatic adviser to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas who accompanies him on his trips to world capitals, asked Bahrain's foreign minister for $4 million to fund a private neighborhood complex for Palestinian officials in an upscale area of Ramallah in the West Bank. He insisted the complex was "meant to resist the Israeli settlements," even though there are no settlements where the complex was built. Opposing Jewish settlements in the West Bank is a major rallying cry for Palestinians, who demand the territory that Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war as part of their future state, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. It isn't clear if Bahrain ever paid the money. Al-Khaldi declined to comment when reached by the AP. The other document by Nazmi Muhanna, general director of the Palestinian Crossing and Borders Authority, requested the government pay for his daughter's schooling as well as medical treatment for his family in Jordan for a total of $15,000, a hefty sum for many Palestinians. Muhanna defended his demand, saying it was permitted by the Palestinian government. The government later said it did not cover those expenses.

Outrage over the documents quickly spread on social media, where Palestinians challenged everything from their leadership's finances to its political legitimacy in the face of repeatedly delayed elections, last held in 2005. "If Muhanna's daughter costs the Palestinian Authority 6,500 Jordanian Dinars (about $9,175) in private school in Jordan, what about the poor students in government schools? Who will pay attention to them?" Mohammed Abu Allan, a Palestinian political blogger, wrote on Facebook. Observers say corruption has decreased since the 2004 death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Abbas has promised reforms, but he has been criticized for ignoring corruption among his loyalists while targeting political rivals. Azmi Shoabi, the head of Aman, a branch of the corruption watchdog Transparency International, said "there are big black holes" in the Palestinian financial and administrative system that "need to be addressed and reformed." Those include failing to publish financial reports properly and on time while not overseeing some 20 government-run funds headed by executives with excessive salaries, he said.

Various public departments have become "private kingdoms" for some officials, Shoabi said. The Palestinian parliament, which has limited oversight powers, has been defunct since the Islamic militant group Hamas' 2007 ouster of Abbas' government in Gaza. Rafeq Natsheh, who heads the Palestinian anti-corruption commission, said that the body is fighting against graft and has recovered millions of stolen dollars. But for Palestinians, the leaked documents only reinforced perceptions that their government remains tainted. "We need to see the real picture which is much bigger than the fees of Muhanna's daughter," Rami Mehdawi, a columnist for the Palestinian al-Ayam newspaper, wrote on Facebook. "The entire Palestinian system needs to be addressed and reformed to clean up the rampant corruption, mismanagement and nepotism."


http://bigstory.ap.org/article/5bf9cbc118224ead95502eb210a5ae37/leaked-documents-raise-anger-over-palestinian-corruption

Yeah your right Didge because corruption exists in many quarters even up to the very highest level.

Benjamin Netanyahu Hires Top Defense Attorney For Possible Corruption Case

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has hired a well-known lawyer described in the Israeli press as a "specialist in white-collar crime" to represent him and his wife if they face criminal corruption charges. Jacob Weinroth is considered to be one of the country’s top defense attorneys.

The potential prosecution stems from a report published Tuesday by Israel’s state comptroller, accusing the Netanyahus of spending public funds in a way that “strayed from the cornerstone principles of financial management and the principles of proportionality, reasonableness, saving, and efficiency.”

According to the report, Benjamin and Sara Netanyahu spent 8,166 shekels ($2,117) per month to clean their private residence in Caesarea, even though they stay most of the time at the official residence in Jerusalem -- which carried cleaning costs as high as 1.1 million shekels ($285,251) a year. They racked up another $68,000 in one year on expenses for makeup, hairstyle and presentation services.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/21/benjamin-netanyahu-corruption_n_6727022.html

Shocking in'it?

So Irn as per usual is not interested in the article, where I am against all corruption he makes no view and posts something else to deflect.
Which means he is trying to protect those who are currupt, which is no surpirse from someone who is an extremist lefty
I mean anyone who is corrupt I condemn. Only the extreme left look for excuses.

Cuchulain wrote:So Irn as per usual is not interested in the article, where I am against all corruption he makes no view and posts something else to deflect.
Which means he is trying to protect those who are currupt, which is no surpirse from someone who is an extremist lefty
I mean anyone who is corrupt I condemn. Only the extreme left look for excuses.

I was intersted in the article and made my views clear that corruption exists up to the very highest level and it's wrong.

I'm surprised that you didn't know about the corruption surrounding Netanyahu or at least as far as I know you never mentioned it.

Never mind, we're both agreed that it's wrong whoever is doing it.

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:So Irn as per usual is not interested in the article, where I am against all corruption he makes no view and posts something else to deflect.
Which means he is trying to protect those who are currupt, which is no surpirse from someone who is an extremist lefty
I mean anyone who is corrupt I condemn. Only the extreme left look for excuses.

I was intersted in the article and made my views clear that corruption exists up to the very highest level and it's wrong.

I'm surprised that you didn't know about the corruption surrounding Netanyahu or at least as far as I know you never mentioned it.

Never mind, we're both agreed that it's wrong whoever is doing it.

You are just a pathetic little muggy runt that cannot even condemn corruption if donw by your extremist heroes,

Cuchulain wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:So Irn as per usual is not interested in the article, where I am against all corruption he makes no view and posts something else to deflect.
Which means he is trying to protect those who are currupt, which is no surpirse from someone who is an extremist lefty
I mean anyone who is corrupt I condemn. Only the extreme left look for excuses.

I was intersted in the article and made my views clear that corruption exists up to the very highest level and it's wrong.

I'm surprised that you didn't know about the corruption surrounding Netanyahu or at least as far as I know you never mentioned it.

Never mind, we're both agreed that it's wrong whoever is doing it.

You are just a pathetic little muggy runt that cannot even condemn corruption if donw by your extremist heroes,

I already have. Have you condemned Netanyahu for his corruption?

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

You are just a pathetic little muggy runt that cannot even condemn corruption if donw by your extremist heroes,

I already have. Have you condemned Netanyahu for his corruption?

Deflection again.

What is this thread about Irn?

Cuchulain wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

You are just a pathetic little muggy runt that cannot even condemn corruption if donw by your extremist heroes,

I already have. Have you condemned Netanyahu for his corruption?

Deflection again.

What is this thread about Irn?

It's about corruption of which there are examples of this at the highest level.

Do you dispute that?

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

Deflection again.

What is this thread about Irn?

It's about corruption of which there are examples of this at the highest level.

Do you dispute that?

You do not decide what the thread is about.

Its about Palestinian corruption which you wish to poorly downplay off some Israeli corruption.

Cuchulain wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

Deflection again.

What is this thread about Irn?

It's about corruption of which there are examples of this at the highest level.

Do you dispute that?

You do not decide what the thread is about.

Its about Palestinian corruption which you wish to poorly downplay off some Israeli corruption.

I'll decide what I want to post and in this case I'm making the point that corruption exists in many high places and I don't need your permission to say so.

Behave yourself.

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

You do not decide what the thread is about.

Its about Palestinian corruption which you wish to poorly downplay off some Israeli corruption.

I'll decide what I want to post and in this case I'm making the point that corruption exists in many high places and I don't need your permission to say so.

Behave yourself.

No this thread is about Palestinians, you though as seen tried to down play this with deflections.

So no you do not decide, or are you busing your powers again thinking you can decide?

Cuchulain wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

You do not decide what the thread is about.

Its about Palestinian corruption which you wish to poorly downplay off some Israeli corruption.

I'll decide what I want to post and in this case I'm making the point that corruption exists in many high places and I don't need your permission to say so.

Behave yourself.

No this thread is about Palestinians, you though as seen tried to down play this with deflections.

So no you do not decide, or are you busing your powers again thinking you can decide?

No, I clearly said that corruption exists in many high places. Why do you object to corruption being brought up when it exists elsewhere?

I'll post what I want.

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

No this thread is about Palestinians, you though as seen tried to down play this with deflections.

So no you do not decide, or are you busing your powers again thinking you can decide?

No, I clearly said that corruption exists in many high places. Why do you object to corruption being brought up when it exists elsewhere?

I'll post what I want.

You are boring me now with your pathetic excuses.

You post drivel at the best of times and as seen are an Islamist apologist who backs Political Hamas who discrminates against many groups.

Sums you up really

Cuchulain wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

No this thread is about Palestinians, you though as seen tried to down play this with deflections.

So no you do not decide, or are you busing your powers again thinking you can decide?

No, I clearly said that corruption exists in many high places. Why do you object to corruption being brought up when it exists elsewhere?

I'll post what I want.

You are boring me now with your pathetic excuses.

You post drivel at the best of times and as seen are an Islamist apologist who backs Political Hamas who discrminates against many groups.

Sums you up really

There's that hate within you seeping out again Didge. Where's the love you were taught?

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

You are boring me now with your pathetic excuses.

You post drivel at the best of times and as seen are an Islamist apologist who backs Political Hamas who discrminates against many groups.

Sums you up really

There's that hate within you seeping out again Didge. Where's the love you were taught?

Its not hate but pity that you back such hateful organisations

Cuchulain wrote:

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

You are boring me now with your pathetic excuses.

You post drivel at the best of times and as seen are an Islamist apologist who backs Political Hamas who discrminates against many groups.

Sums you up really

There's that hate within you seeping out again Didge. Where's the love you were taught?

Its not hate but pity that you back such hateful organisations

No no Didge. You have hate within you and your love message that you are suggesting should be an important part of someone's make up obviously didn't work on you.

Irn Bru wrote:

Cuchulain wrote:

Its not hate but pity that you back such hateful organisations

No no Didge. You have hate within you and your love message that you are suggesting should be an important part of someone's make up obviously didn't work on you.

Yes yesy yes irn, I have hate for the IRA, as they are murderers, but I would never act on this hate
Love conqueres my hate here for them
So it clearly has worked for me because I have not been indoctrinated with hate to commit revenege.
You have no comprehension or understanding until you have endured this, so how are you to even advise on something you have never experinced?