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The Right Coast
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Where Does All That Western Aid to the Palestinians Go? Mike Rappaport

By Thomas A. Smith

From the New York Times:

The Israeli prime minister’s office released a statement saying that Fuad Shubaki, a former aide to Yasir Arafat, estimated the Palestinian Authority spent several million dollars annually to buy weapons for fighting Israel.

Mr. Shubaki, who is in Israeli custody and has been under interrogation, handled financial matters for Mr. Arafat, the Palestinian leader who died in 2004.

After the Palestinian uprising began in 2000, Mr. Arafat gave orders to buy large quantities of weapons, Mr. Shubaki told his interrogators, according to the Israeli statement.

Mr. Shubaki said the money came from a variety of sources: Palestinian tax revenue, Arab and Western assistance and tax revenues transferred by Israel, according to the statement. But Israel stopped transferring money to the Palestinians shortly after the uprising began, and did not resume the practice for about two years.

In 2002, Israel accused Mr. Shubaki of purchasing 50 tons of weapons that were to be smuggled into Gaza by boat.