A recent Palestinian public opinion poll reveals that a majority of Palestinians support the continuation of the intifada, and a large plurality still favors suicidal attacks in Israel.
Meanwhile, the latest Palestinian public opinion poll also says that 59% of Palestinians believe that Israel should give them more medical services:
Which medical services should Israel provide? please indicate all the services you think Israel should provide:In fact, the greatest advances in Palestinian public health occurred under Israeli rule, after 1967 but before the intifada and the war by suicide bombing:
1. Vaccinations for children/adults 22.1%
2. School breakfast 7.4%
3. Prenatal/Maternity Care13.2%
4. Cancer Screening/Health Information. 23.0%
5. Cancer treatment.25.3%
6.Don't know/Refused (Do Not Read ) 9.0%
mortality rates in the West Bank and Gaza fell by more than two-thirds between 1970 and 1990, while life expectancy rose from 48 years in 1967 to 72 in 2000 (compared with an average of 68 years for all the countries of the Middle East and North Africa). Israeli medical programs reduced the infant-mortality rate of 60 per 1,000 live births in 1968 to 15 per 1,000 in 2000 (in Iraq the rate is 64, in Egypt 40, in Jordan 23, in Syria 22). And under a systematic program of inoculation, childhood diseases like polio, whooping cough, tetanus, and measles were eradicated.Palestinian access to Israeli health care has indeed fallen off as Israel has tightened border security to protect itself. All of those very popular suicidal attacks are suicidal in more ways than one. Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at February 02, 2004 08:58 AM
The Palestinian's are utter complete failures by any measure. What an absolute sewer.
Posted by: Gary B on February 2, 2004 04:14 PMI want you all dead, but I need your services.
I'm beyond caring anymore if these idiots ever receive anything better than the 12th century provides them. Their attitude is narcissistic and preditory, rather than logically conflicted.
Weapons rather than colleges, it's been their choice for decades.
Stefan,
Read this : "The other fence" to get an idea of the mentality at work in the region
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1075263109677
"Perhaps falling back on the old Communist adage of "worse is better," Israeli-Arab politicians deepen their own constituents' hardships to foster resentment against the state.
Israel's Arab citizens habitually complain of discrimination. Yet the government committee set up to implement the Or Commission's report and funnel more funds to Arab communities is being boycotted by Arab politicians.
Arab local councils complain of financial insolvency, yet they fail to collect minimal local taxes. In some Arab cities, as little as 1 percent of potential revenue estimates are met, as if tax collection means collaboration with the hated Zionists. "
Read the column.
It's a pity that this sort of intel is not widely available.
If the Palestinians are sick, I suggest they use bloodletting as a cure. Very suitable for their middle-age mentality.
Frankly, I don't care if the 10th plague comes thru the West Bank and wipes out their first born. And their 2nd born too. Of course, with umpteen children, it will hardly make a dent. But it would be a start.
Posted by: Joe on February 4, 2004 03:41 AMHuh? I note the highest percentage given favoring Israeli help is twenty-five, indicating seventy-five are against it. Which is in line with Arafat's flying patients to Libya rather than risking thm receiving "Jewish blood" in an Israeli facility.
Posted by: John Anderson on February 4, 2004 06:59 AMThis brings up a point that is rarely made. One excuse for the murder bombings is along the lines of "when people are despairing and hopeless, what can you expect?"
Leave aside that despairing and hopeless Tibetans, for example, don't engage in ever more creative forms of savagery. Bymost social and economic measure, life for the Palestinians improved substantially after 1967. Housing standards would have improved but several Israeli attempts to move refugees out of camps and into permanent housing were condemned by UN resolutions.
Palestinians were also being integrated into a flourishing Israeli economy. Health standards increased markedly. And so forth. And the Palestinians responded with intifada, terrorism, and barbarity.
If they are hopeless and despairing, to a great extent they did it to themselves.
Posted by: Alex Bensky on February 5, 2004 06:50 AMfootage taken following the suicide bombing of bus no. 19 in Jerusalem on Jan. 29, 2004 (warning: it is very graphic.)
Posted by: Nikita on February 8, 2004 12:41 PM