Economic strangulation

People in the West Bank governorates are suffering from impossible economic conditions, in light of the ongoing direct aggression, the tight siege, the decline in production, the increasing number of unemployed, closures, the deliberate destruction of all forms of life, the destruction of the economic infrastructure, the attacks of settlers, the iron gates and the checkpoints that have multiplied, according to a systematic plan followed by the occupation government, which continues its war of extermination in Gaza, through killing, siege and starvation. The citizen has tried to stand firm in the face of these difficult conditions, and has exerted all his effort, and defied compelling and impossible circumstances, but the long months that have passed have exhausted him, until he reached a point where he is no longer able to be patient, in light of a clear occupation policy, the goal of which is to strangle and collapse the Palestinian economy and impoverish the citizen, so that life becomes a mere absurdity, hopes become more narrow, and the situation leads to despair.

Yesterday, I listened to the voices of the people who gathered in the Tulkarm Chamber of Commerce, who called for a commercial strike to protest the deteriorating situation. Their complaint was justified; it was a cry from the depths of the harsh reality that the situation had reached, and a call for the necessity of finding solutions before falling into the abyss. The merchants' voices were filled with rage, and their complaint was justified. The circles of livelihood have become narrow, all means of patience have been exhausted, and it seems that the key to relief has been lost.

People's complaint about officials' failure to uphold their responsibilities is legitimate. We have previously stated that officials are required to find and innovate solutions, not to go out to the people and complain about the poor conditions, describing the problems as if they were far removed from their position. The people are the ones who complain, and the official is the one who is responsible for innovating solutions. Otherwise, what is the point of having them head a ministry or agency that does not offer solutions or devise the means to save people, their lives, and their businesses from the quagmire of poverty that has driven some to oblivion?

It is true that the occupation is doing this deliberately, and in fact, it is planning to go further and more dangerously, through a systematic policy established by Smotrich and approved by the Netanyahu government years ago, especially regarding the clearance revenues that the occupation is stealing in numbers and cash. These figures have reached staggering levels that have complicated the financial situation of the Authority, leaving it with this deficit that has weakened it and brought it to this state it has become, borrowing from local banks to cover part of its obligations, waiting for the European Union’s aid, and agreeing to conditions here and there, while America stopped its support years ago, and the Arabs have not implemented the safety net that they spoke about in a number of previous Arab summits.

The complaints of merchants and people in Tulkarm are similar to those of the rest of the country's governorates. The situation is no better in Bethlehem, Jenin, Nablus, or Hebron. If we look, for example, at the reality of tourism and the owners of tourist facilities in Bethlehem, we will find them with the same complaints. This sector has been affected since the Covid-19 pandemic until today. It is dying in light of the continued complete halt of tourists and pilgrims, and the disruption of tourist delegations. All tourist facilities are closed, emptiness is howling, and the workforce is idle.

The economic strangulation caused by the occupation has been confronted for years with great Palestinian patience, and a voice has exploded with screams saying: It is time for this situation to change, and for every official to assume his responsibilities towards the people, their daily bread, their security, and their safety.