The CIA maintains a useful data bank. I believe no voluntary distorsions are included, but somehow the data on the West Bank seems to mirror a place I do not know. Gross Natonal Product = $9.828 billion (2014 est.). Since population is about 2.9 million (including 0.5 million Jews), it is 3,500 $ per capita. It is in the Nigeria - Bangla Desh group. However, One does not see human misery in the roads or in the villages. On the contrary, one sees palatial buildings and brand-new Mercedes Benz cars. Many schools and universities, at middays the streets are full of uniformed children coming from school, and the statistics too prove that the youth is studying. This is an active, enterprising, commercial people. Yet every second Palestinian I talk with, dreams of moving to Europe or America. Against all the rethoric and posturing of "return to Palestine", most seem to be searching for ways to joing their relatives in the West.
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