Sunday Lite : A US$50 Million Private Business Jet For The Palestinian President

Just to keep in touch with Palestine. There is a small storm in a tea cup brewing over the purchase of a private business jet, a Boeing 737-700 for the use of Mahmoud Abbas the Palestinian President.

• 82-year-old Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas
• purchases US$50m high-end private plane 
• funded US$30m from Palestinian National Fund, US$20m from PA budget
• BBJ1 Boeing Business Jet, registration mark B-5286. 
• version of Boeing 737-700 airliner 
• 541mph jet, range more than 6,000 miles 
• Abbas “elected” to 4-year presidency in 2005
• now entering 14th year of presidency, out of touch with democracy 
• last year he issued cybercrime law 
• one year jail if “publish news endanger integrity of Palestinian state” 
• Abbas admin is corrupt gerontocracy, inept, remote, self-serving, authoritarian

My comments : What do you think folks? Do you think Abbas best serves the interests of the Palestinian people? What about Hamas? Or Hezbollah?

Anyway, Abbas was elected "president" of the Palestinian Authority in 2005.  That was the last time they had elections - in 2005.  

Legally, Abbas' term as president ended four years later in 2009.  There have been no elections in Palestine since then. 

It is actually not Abbas' fault. One of their rules says that before elections can be held, they must undertake  a population census or something close like that. The Hamas has refused to conduct any population census. The Hamas has also been against having general elections. 

So it has been status quo for THIRTEEN YEARS NOW. Abbas is president of the West Bank without a mandate and in the Gaza, Hamas is now in deep shit.

This is the single biggest problem in the Middle East - nearly all their presidents, prime ministers,  rulers, kings, emirs, sultans have no legitimacy to rule.

Hence there will always be 'asymmetrical challenges' to their sitting on the perch. They do not have proper and organised systems to choose their leaders and to ensure smooth and peaceful transfers of power.  So late in the 21st century already.

So Abbas is buying a plane for US$50 million. The Palestinians run on charity from around the world, including from Malaysians of course. Just so you know where your money is being spent.