Earlier today we reported that Israel lobbyist David Makovsky in testimony to Congress had urged Israel's use of "appropriate biometrics" as a means of screening Palestinians at Israeli border crossings so as to shorten lines. He recommended this as a way of making Palestinians' lives better.
But this is not the first time Makovsky has presumed to speak on behalf of Palestinians before Congress. A year or so back David Bloom wrote the following:
David Makovsky of WINEP told Congress
that Palestinian residents of Qalqilya (the large city on the other
side of [the Jewish settlement] Zufim) would be willing to accept the loss of their lands if
they were compensated. In his testimony,
Makovsky that "there is hardship" for Palestinians impacted by the
fence, but asserted that most "are very happy to hear the Israeli
government coming out this week with a 2-billion shekel or $500 million
program on the hardship. I happened to speak to the mayor of Qualqilya,
and I saw the wall on the Palestinian side, and I asked him, I said,
'if there was a compensation program to offset some of these hardships,
would you be for it?' He said absolutely. "
that Palestinian residents of Qalqilya (the large city on the other
side of [the Jewish settlement] Zufim) would be willing to accept the loss of their lands if
they were compensated. In his testimony,
Makovsky that "there is hardship" for Palestinians impacted by the
fence, but asserted that most "are very happy to hear the Israeli
government coming out this week with a 2-billion shekel or $500 million
program on the hardship. I happened to speak to the mayor of Qualqilya,
and I saw the wall on the Palestinian side, and I asked him, I said,
'if there was a compensation program to offset some of these hardships,
would you be for it?' He said absolutely. "
Having spent three months in Qalqilya district, including Jayyous,
I never met a Palestinian who would accept compensation for
their land–regarding it as their ancestral and cultural heritage, the
selling of which amounts to collaboration with the Israeli occupiers
I never met a Palestinian who would accept compensation for
their land–regarding it as their ancestral and cultural heritage, the
selling of which amounts to collaboration with the Israeli occupiers
My advice to Congress is that it should stop taking the advice of a leading Jewish Israel lobbyist on what is good for Palestinians. Palestinians can speak for themselves, or Congress can call Americans who have seen the conditions, such as Bloom.
