The PA is sending aid to Venezuela, in order to win media exposure, while ignoring the plight of its own people.
The Palestinian Authority (PA), responsible for creating the worst medical crisis the Gaza Strip has seen in years, has come under fire from Palestinian civilians after announcing it was sending medical supplies to Venezuela.
The recent PA budget cuts and restrictions on deliveries of medicine to Gaza have created extreme hardship for Palestinians in the Strip.
The Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported Monday that upon orders from PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, three truckloads of medical supplies were sent to Venezuela.
Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riad al-Malki said that the aid was an effort to “repay what it can for what the Venezuelan government has presented to the Palestinian people.”
Venezuela, which in the midst of economic and social collapse, is a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and notorious for its opposition to Israel.
Palestinians Attack PA on Social Media
Ma’an reported that the PA faced a wide backlash on social media from Palestinians on the street.
Ahmed Jarrar, for instance, a freelance journalist in Gaza, wrote on Facebook: “Venezuela is in our head, and helping them is a duty, but cutting the aid to Gaza and sending it to Venezuela — the same aid that was given to help Palestinians — it’s not logical and completely mad.”
Meanwhile, Yoav Mordechai, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees the implementation of civil and humanitarian policies in Judea, Samaria and Gaza, gibed on Facebook: “We draw the Palestinian Authority’s attention to the fact that traveling from Ramallah to Gaza is only one hour, while the distance between Venezuela and Ramallah is more than 10,000 kilometers.”
During recent months, Abbas has also stopped providing medication to Gaza’s civilians, reduced payments to governmental employees in the Strip and drastically cut in the power supply to Gaza. The Palestinian leader also threatened to increase pressure on Gaza if Hamas, which rules the Strip, does not yield to his political demands.
Israel Sends Humanitarian Aid to Gaza
COGAT on Sunday transferred multiple generators into Gaza to relieve the energy crisis for over 200,000 Gazans. The generators are intended to power water stations.
On Thursday, 19,260 tons of goods, in 604 trucks, entered Gaza through Israel.
By: United with Israel Staff
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