Pressure is building on the Palestinian Authority, Yasser Arafat's beleaguered government, to reform and democratise following revelations of widespread corruption and the betrayal of Palestinian interests. Although allegations of graft under Mr Arafat's leadership are nothing new, the current political climate means the disclosures have seen Palestinian challengers and reformists considerably strengthened.
The latest corruption scandal involves the sale of more than 400,000 tonnes of cement, intended for the reconstruction of Palestinian houses and public buildings destroyed by Israeli incursions, to Israeli firms. The cement was supplied to the Palestinian Authority by Egypt for the token fee of no more than 15 dollars per tonne.
In what many Palestinians see as base treachery, the cement was resold to Israeli firms for at least 100 dollars per tonne and reportedly used in the construction of the contentious ‘security barrier' intended to keep suicide bombers out of Israel, and in the building of Jewish settlements in the Occupied Territories.
In this interview with RN's Josh Maiyo, Palestinian journalist Khalid Amayreh, who has investigated the concrete affair, says the corruption goes right to the heart of the Palestinian Authority.
"One of the companies involved is owned by the Tarifi family, and Jamil Tarifi happens to be the Palestinian minister of civil affairs. It is in his home that the signing of the license to import the cement took place. So he's involved. I understand that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat maybe also knows about it – Palestinian comptroller Jarrar al-Kidwa wrote to him repeatedly, notifying him that the cement was being diverted to Israel. There are rumours, there is gossip here that Arafat knew about it and chose to remain silent because he himself may have received some of the money, so the issue is very serious."
RN: "Does this represent a new, daring level of corruption?"
"I don't think so. Various manifestations of corruption, like nepotism, favouritism, kickbacks, outright embezzlement of money, this has always been the modus operandi of the Palestinian Authority from day one. The only problem is that the world has chosen to speak up against it now. During the Oslo Accords, when the Palestinian Authority was, so-called, going with the flow, the world, including the US and Israel, chose to remain silent because it was politically expedient to do so. But right now everyone is speaking out against it because Yasser Arafat is not doing what he is supposed to do, namely, to accommodate Israeli demands and to succumb to Israeli pressure."
RN: "If this does go into the upper echelons, what is the real chance that this will be properly investigated?"
"I think most Palestinians, including myself, have little faith in the Palestinian justice system. I am very much in doubt on the ability and willingness of the Palestinian Authority to really curb and fight this rampant corruption. We are not talking about one or two isolated cases, we are talking about rampant corruption inundating and permeating through the entire body of the Palestinian Authority. The phenomenon is rampant it would take Palestinian society many years to really eradicate it."
