Democratic Palestine : 19 (ص 15)
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- Democratic Palestine : 19 (ص 15)
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industry. For example, the Zionist authorities set impossible
conditions for granting a license for the cement factory in
Hebron (AI Khalil) and the bank in Nablus. They halted co-
operative housing projects, and hindered efforts to raise the
production capacity of the Jerusalem District Electric Com-
pany and the Nablus municipal electric company. They hin-
dered plans to utilize irrigation water, etc. Yet the authorities
do not oppose the establishment of some small industries
which would supply the demands of the construction sector;
this caused a surplus in the production of cement blocks and
other construction materials. Also allowed was some tradi-
tional industry, with high production costs, such as clothing.
In agriculture, the authorities determine which crops can be
cultivated, and in what proportion, to meet the needs of the
Israeli economy.
It is clear what types of projects the Zionist authorities will
allow. They have confidence in the US businessmen’s plan,
despite Sharon’s critical statements, for they have the right to
veto and hinder any projects that violate the security of their
economy.
C. Activating the role of the occupied territories in
the Israeli economy
Knowing the strategy and tactics of Zionist policy towards
the occupied territories, one can understand the differences
that many times surface between the two poles of the Israeli
political spectrum - Likud and Labor. These differences sur-
faced again concerning the plan for «improving the quality of
life» in the occupied territories. The plan was heavily criticized
by Likud, whereas Labor was very enthusiastic about it.
We will enumerate some of the thoughts that were discussed
on the subject. Ifraim Aharam, one of the most famous lectu-
rers of Tel Aviv University, said: «It is to the interest of the US
to look for developing the West Bank economically, because
this will help absorb laborers (in the occupied territories). I
believe that Israel should exploit this chance to the maximum.»
Aharam explained how ‘Israel’ can benefit from this chance:
«Israel should get rid of some of the industries that have
become a burden to the economy. This should be done by
transferring them to the West Bank. This would enable Israel
to release part of its technical labor force and transfer a huge
capital to more developed industries.» As examples, Aharam
talked about the textile and diamond industries. Everyone
knows that the process of transferring parts of the textile
industry to the West Bank has been going on for years. Now
there are scores of tailoring and clothing factories in Tulkarm,
Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and many other towns of the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, based on subcontracting with
Israeli factories. Aharam adds that the process of industriali-
zing the West Bank and Gaza Strip «will open a big export
market for ‘Israel’ east of Jordan, to a value of $100 billion
dollars. »(4)
From this, we can conclude that ‘Israel’ will have to utilize
this chance (the US businessmen’s plan) to stabilize the foun-
dation of a system that will bring many benefits, by transfer-
ring to the occupied territories costly industries and industries
that are bankrupt or nearly so, such as the Atta textile factory.
Aharam also confirms the importance of the occupied territo-
ries as a bridge for expanding into the Arab markets. We all
know that benefiting from this bridge requires normalizing
relations with the Jordanian regime.
JORDAN’S CHANCE TO GAIN POWER
Although Jordanian officials were silent about the plan to
«improve the quality of life,» there were many indications of
direct coordination with the Israeli rulers, with consultations
taking place behind closed doors. All that we heard was that
Jordan demands to play a bigger role in implementing the plan.
Some of the practical things that have been going on for a
while are the plans for reorganizing the villages of the West
Bank and Gaza Strip. These plans are being financed Jointly by
Jordan and ‘Israel’. Coordination is apparent in many acts of
preparation for this project, specifically the campaign for
appointing new municipal councils in some West Bank towns.
Coordination was also apparent in consultations on important
projects, such as the Jerusalem District Electric Company.
The Jordanian regime spared no efforts to isolate the PLO
from the political arena; it is now achieving its goals in the
open by cooperating with the Israelis. The Jordanian regime
sees that the US businessmen’s plan gives it a chance to gain
power and supporters in the occupied territories. Having eli-
cited the support of the Zionist authorities and the Jordanian
regime, the plan for «improving the quality of life» is the eco-
nomic gateway to the US-style settlement based on Camp
David and the Reagan plan. This plan is expected to achieve
what the Israelis failed to achieve by invading Lebanon. The
Israeli invasion aimed at reversing the regional balance of
power - once and for all - in favor of the US plans, marginali-
zing the PLO and spreading Camp David to all or most Arab
countries.
On the economic level, this plan is expected to even more
closely link the economy of the occupied territories with the
Israeli economy, through a division of labor. This means more
exploitation and marginalization of the economy of the occu-
pied territories. It is also expected to tie the occupied territo-
ries’ economy to US finances, via Jordan and ‘Israel’. Through
this process, it is expected to normalize economic relations
between Jordan and ‘Israel’.
The social dimension of this process is to further the com-
prador nature of the Palestinian bourgeoisie, pushing them
into joint projects with US capital where they will be allotted a
limited role in the division of labor between the occupied terri-
tories and the Israeli economy, as Dr. Aharam talked about. In
the future, this strata will be developed as a middleman bet-
ween the Israeli economy and the Arab economy, after poli-
tical obstacles are removed. At the same time, this strata will
be prepared for a political role opposed to the PLO, posing as
an alternative to it.
The political dimension of this process involves normalizing
and strengthening relations between the Palestinian people
under occupation and the civil administration. The civil admi-
nistration will be prepared for new tasks, by giving a bigger
role to local Palestinians. In addition, the role of the group
that supports the Jordanian solution will be strengthened.
Chances will be improved for the US solution that aims at
liquidating the Palestinian cause. Peres’ proposal for a
«Marshall plan» reveals the nature of the broader maneuvers
to materialize the US concept of «strategic consensus» by close
cooperation between ‘Israel’ and the Arab reactionary regimes.
The plan for «improving the quality of life» is an attempt to
exploit the deteriorating economic situation in the occupied
territories, in order to seduce the Palestinian bourgeoisie in
particular. They are to be led'to believe that doors are open for
them to expand and accumulate capital through the role they
will be prepared for, as middlemen, in the normalization pro-
cess between ‘Israel’ and the Jordanian regime, and probably
with all of the reactionary regimes eventually.
(1) Members of the Businessmen’s Association for Peace and Development:
- Steve Cohen, professor at Queens City College, New York, chairman
- Steve Shalom, New York banker
- Lester Braden, Chicago, general manager of General Dynamics
- G. Britsker, Chicago, owner of Hyatt Hotels
- Najeeb Halaby, businessman, in charge of the association’s political com-
mittee, King Hussein’s father-in-law ,
- Robert Arno, Robert Stuberg, businessman
- Bill Baroudy, director of an investment company in Washington, and president
of the American Studies Institute
- Henry Kaufman, economics expert
- Alfer Moses, Washington attorney
- Arnold Forrester, former president of the Association to Defend Jews in
America
- Cyrus Vance, former Secretary of State
- Philip Habib, US envoy to the Middle East
- Howard Squadron, US Zionist leader
- Al Khashoggi, Saudi billionaire.
(2) Al Biader Al Seasi, Jerusalem, issue 135, January 12, 1985, p. 16.
(3)Al Awda, Jerusalem, issue 53, 1984, p. 49.
(4) Al Ittihad, Haifa, October 26, 1984.
(5) Al Quds, December 16, 1984.
(6) Al Mithag, Jerusalem, November I, 1984.
(7) Al Ittihad, Haifa, October 26, 1984.
(8) Al Awda, issue 53, p. 5.
(9) bid.
(10) Al Quds, November 3, 1984.
(11) Al Quds, June 23, 1986.
(12) Al Khatib, issue 54, «Cuts in wages of laborers in Israel,» by Taysir
Al Arouri, p. 31.
(13) The Israeli Annual Census Book for 1985.
(14) Al Biader Al Seasi, issue 125, November 3, 1984. - هو جزء من
- Democratic Palestine : 19
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