The Palestinian Authority - directed investment

The Palestinians have no money. Right?

Israeli intelligence has detected more than 20 tons of explosives being smuggled into Gaza this year, along with sophisticated antitank and antiaircraft missiles.

But government employees have been going for months without wages. Haven't they?

In June, while the Hamas government was already pleading inability to pay existing PA employees, it decided to increase the PA's payroll by hiring an additional 5,400 employees, mainly security personnel - read gunmen - affiliated with Hamas.

But if the US and the EU, which together virtually bankrole the Palestinian Authority, have cut off all their funds, where is the money coming from?

According to John Vinocur of the International Herald Tribune, the EU claims to have given $814 million to the Palestinians between January and October, "more than it would in a normal year."

The EU. Big surprise, but the money hasn't gone to Hamas, has it? It's been diverted through the office of President Abbas, and he's one of the good guys, isn't he?

Abbas's forces have demonstrated exceptional proficiency in handling certain types of attacks - namely, those directed at Western journalists and aid workers...In every such kidnapping the victims have been released unharmed, usually within 24 hours. And in every single case, this has been due to PA intervention - usually by Abbas's office.

Well, that's good, isn't it? If he can do that, then he can deal with Hamas and similar organisations, can't he?

Even during Abbas's 14 months in sole control of the PA, from January 2005 to March 2006, his forces failed to arrest so much as a single one of the terrorists who have launched Kassam rockets into Israel from Gaza every day since disengagement. Nor were anti-Israel terrorists of any other stripe - bomb-makers, gunmen, kidnappers - ever arrested, even when Israeli intelligence gave him information on which to act.

Mmm. There's something not quite right here. Right?