By Eli E. Hertz
3rd part of 4
Links and footnotes in part 4
Benchmarking combating corruption: Who by European norms, who by Middle Eastern ones?
Judging from the EU’s evaluations, in many areas one would think that Turkey was the despotic and repressive regime, and the Palestinian Authority was the one honestly striving to reform its system. Corruption is a case in point. It throws into relief the totally different ‘points of reference’ Europeans are applying to Turks and to Palestinians.
Despite a host of anti-corruption measures, the compliance report on Turkey does not shy away from warning that “surveys continue to indicate that corruption remains a very serious problem,” although a 1,200 word report by the Turkish parliament’s newly established Anti-Corruption Committee called for lifting the parliamentary immunity of “25 former government ministers, including former prime ministers.”
Widespread corruption in high places in the PA is only alluded to in the EU’s update on its relations with the West Bank and Gaza Strip. It speaks of “significant progress”…with regard to management of the PA’s public finances, and particular, the strengthening of financial control.” It cites “full responsibility placed on the Finance Ministry for managing the Palestinian Authority payroll” as one of the “achievements [that] have advanced reform in the PA more than any other initiative in the period since 2000.” The credibility of such a sweeping claim is countered by many of the findings of the EU’s Task Force – for instance, that “in the area of public administration efforts to restructure ministries and government agencies have come to nothing.”[1][45] Moreover, Forbes revealed that Arafat became one of the richest leaders in the world due to lack of fiscal controls,[1][46] and to his dying day in late 2004, the PA chairman never relinquished the power of the purse. Even more pathetic is the EU’s praise for “transparency in the PA’s public finances”…which boils down to “publication of the budget on the Internet” – all the more hollow, considering that only a tiny percentage of Palestinian households and businesses have computers, not to mention Internet access.
Even more fundamentally, the EU chooses to employ entirely different ‘points of reference’ for benchmarking Turkey and the Palestinian Authority.
Turkey is judged by high European standards of enlightened government, with no discounts for geography. In September 2004, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) issued a press release to this effect that underscored:
“The EESC reiterates that Turkey should meet the same political criteria as other candidate member states before negotiations can be opened and that its performance in the reform process should be measured by the same standards as those used for other candidate member states.” [1][47]
Palestinians, by contrast, are judged by standards in the Middle East or by how much an utterly corrupt regime has ‘progressed.’ Thus, the EU’s Palestinian report praises:
“…significant progress … with regard to the management of the PA’s public finances,” noting that the PA’s “level of fiscal responsibility, control and transparency … rivals the most fiscally advanced countries in the region.” Compare to: Syria … Saudi … Iran … Sudan … Egypt ?
The EU’s benchmarking of the relevance of economic disparities – for themselves and for Israel
Lastly, one cannot simply ignore the fact that one of the three pillars for Turkey joining the EU is Turkey achieving a sustainable, stable robust market economy. Eligibility is based on the “acquis” – how a candidate nation’s economy meshes or doesn’t mesh with the EU’s legal and institutional framework. Half of the EU’s 187-page 2004 report on Turkey’s compliance evaluates 28 domains, from uniform standards for scientific research and requisite corporate law such as anti-trust legislation, to free movement of goods, persons,[1][48] services, and capital. Suffice it to say, the summary of Turkey’s status is studded with phrases such as “in the very early stage, “little progress” and “very limited.” The bottom line: Turkey has a long way to go.
Comparison of demands that Israel embrace the Palestinian economy demonstrate that Europe’s ‘double standard’ in political and social norms is no less blatant in the economic sphere.
There is genuine anxiety among Europeans that consummation of Turkish membership in the EU will have serious ramifications on Europe’s economic wellbeing due to Turkish demographics and a host of disparities with Europe such as standards of living and levels of unemployment.[1][49] Fears are reflected in French warnings by Jacques Chirac’s party that Turkey’s accession would “dilute” Europe.[1][50] Public opinion polls published in Le Figaro found two-thirds of the French and 55% of the Germans[1][51] oppose Ankara becoming an EU member.[1][52] There are similar sentiments – that Turkey is “simply too big, too difficult and too poor” to join the EU – being voiced in Austria, Denmark and Cyprus.[1][53] Even the European Commission’s President Romano Prodi, citing Turkish demographics, Turkey’s level of economic development and other factors, stated frankly a few weeks before the historic vote that the disparities “call for profound reflection and clear precaution.”[1][54] Put bluntly, a large percentage of Europeans don’t want Turkey thrust into their lap ‘hat in hand.’ Yet, there is no such caution exercised where Israel is concerned.
The EU (and others) unjustly blame Israel for the present state of the Palestinian economy, although most of the Palestinian reversals to the level of a poor Third World nation have nothing to do with Israel and the disruption to economic life caused by closures and other security measures. The real cause is a decade of ineptitude and greed under Palestinian self-rule exacerbated by four years of local chaos brought on by living in a war zone of their own creation, and runaway population growth that eats up all economic gain in housing, creating a 5-6% per annum surge in the labor force that is impossible even for highly developed economies to grapple with.”[1][55] Disregarding all these factors or any reference whatsoever to context, the EU charges that the “unprecedented collapse in the Palestinian economy since September 2000” including “high levels of unemployment, a collapse of investment, a fall in exports and a sharp decrease in labour income from Israel” – were the result of “[Israeli] closures and curfew, restricting movement of both goods and people … and destruction of infrastructure and the collapse in domestic revenue.” Consequently, it calls upon Israel to ‘undo the damage’. One of the five elements of the European Council’s plan to accelerate the peace process is “facilitation of rehabilitation and reconstruction by Israel”…[1][56]
Leaving aside the question of who is responsible for the dismal state of Palestinian society, the EU expects Israel to ‘piggyback’ the Palestinian economy back to prosperity – ignoring the stark disparities between Israel’s European-level economy, and the bleak economic indices that the EU published in its May 2004 report on the situation in the West Bank and Gaza.[1][57]
Israel’s GDP was 20 times that of the Palestinians (and half the Middle East, for that matter) even prior to the second Intifada. The EU’s double standard’ is clearly evidenced:
- The EU worries that Turkey’s per capita GDP is $6,700, compared to $24,457 among the 25 members of the EU, and a third that of the EU’s 15 charter members. It is unconcerned that Palestinians’ per capita GDP is less than $1000, compared to $18,900 in Israel.
- The EU 25, with 454 million persons, is reluctant to wrestle with absorbing 66.5 million Turks into their economic structure, but sees nothing incongruous in expecting Israel's 6.7 million population to address the economic needs of about 3 million Palestinians currently residing in the West Bank and Gaza (and an estimated 8.7 million worldwide – 5 million of them UNRWA-registered refugees – 56% of them under the age of 25,[1][1][58] and most of whom expect a Right of Return).
- The EU worries about Turkey’s high annual birth rate of 2.3% - labeled “staggering” by Newsweek which threatens Europe’s near zero population growth, but it remains unconcerned that the Palestinian birth rate in 2002/3 spiraled to 9%, a world record[1][59] - from ‘regular’ run-away rates of 5% in the West Bank and 7.1% in Gaza.[1][60] The birth rate among Israeli Jews is just under 3%.
- The EU worries it will be flooded with Turkish workers in light of Turkish high unemployment rates (13.2%)[1][61] and a burgeoning workforce, it is unconcerned that unemployment among Palestinians is 30%, with a negative economic growth of -25% (Minus twenty-five percent).
A final disparity is Romano Prodi’s plea for “profound reflection and clear precautions” in Europe, saying it is imperative for Europeans to prevent Turks from “weakening the structure we have been building for over 50 years.”[1][62] The same sensitivity and prudence is hardly evidenced when it comes to dangers that Palestinians will weaken the structures Israel has built in the past 50 years that have propelled it from the ‘developing nation’ status it occupied in the early 1950s, to membership among the ‘important emerging economies’ today.
Europe – Fair and Balanced - Practice what you preach.
Eli E. Hertz
Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.
No comments:
Post a Comment