CarolC, like Arafat, like Hamas, like the former supporters of pan arabic nationalism, do not see the "Palestinians" as people. They view them as a convenient club to beat about as long as it serves the purpose of aiding the destruction of Israel and embarassing the United States of America and the West.

CarolC, the Palestinian Authority and various Palestinian NGO's have been receiving substantial aid from the EU for some considerable time (to the tune of $640 million per year) - What have they done with it?

In Gaza, since Israel withdrew what have those whose responsibility it is to look after the "Palestinian" population's best interests and needs done for those people? Built roads? hospitals? schools? Initiated any major Government/Local Authority infrastructure projects that would create employment? Please tell us about them.

Likewise tell us about similar enterprises that would benefit the "Palestinian" people that have occurred on the West Bank. I do actually think you will find instances in the West Bank but few if any sponsored by the PA or by Hamas.

The "Palestinian" people are as leaderless now as they have ever been, they are regarded by you and the likes of you as just bricks in the wall, pawns in the game, to be kept in poverty and misery purely for the benefit of a political agenda. The elected representatives of the "Palestinian" people have it in their power to improve the lot of their people, they always have had that power. To translate that into something tangible only requires the will to proceed and the leadership to implement the actions required. Unfortunately for the people involved this also requires that their leaders look forwards to the future and what can be, not backwards at the past and what might have been.