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Mitt Romney: Israelis richer than Palestinians because of 'hand of providence'
Mitt Romney was accused by all the usual tools of racism after he appeared to suggest that Israelis were richer than Palestinians because of their cultural and religious superiority.

Struggling to regain momentum after a troubled trip to London, where he criticised Olympic preparations, the Republican presidential candidate has stirred up further ill-feeling amongst people who hate him anyways.

He ended the Israeli leg of his world tour on Monday facing Palestinian charges that he promoted "extremism, violence and hatred".
And who would know more about those than a Palestinian?
As he prepared to stoke yet more controversy on Tuesday in Poland with a speech hostile to Russia, Mr Romney demonstrated what the usual leftist and media critics see as a penchant for causing offence abroad at a fundraising breakfast in Jerusalem.

Attempting to bestow praise on his Jewish audience, he told them that Israel was more prosperous than the Palestinian territories because of its culture and the "hand of providence", seen by some Palestinians as a reference to God.

"As you I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognise the power of at least culture and a few other things," he said.

"As you come here and you see the GDP per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000 (£13,300), and compare that with the GDP per capital just across the areas managed by the Palestinian Authority, which is more like $10,000 per capita, you notice such a dramatically stark difference in economic vitality."

Senior Palestinian figures reacted angrily.
Did they grimace fiercely and make faces?
"It is a racist statement and this man doesn't realise that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation," said Saeb Erekat, the veteran Palestinian tool negotiator with close ties with Barack Obama who won't admit it the US.

"It seems to me this man lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people. What this man is doing here is just promoting extremism, violence and hatred, and this is absolutely unacceptable."
Posted by: tipper 2012-07-30
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=349340