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In Chaos, Palestinians Struggle for a Way Out

(New York Times) James Bennet - In the West Bank and Gaza, a contest is under way between warlords and democrats, between Islamists and secular leaders, between those who would destroy Israel and those who would live beside it. Zacaria Zubeidah, 28, a leader of the Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades, administers what passes for law in Jenin with a silver Smith & Wesson pistol at his hip. "I am the highest authority," said Zubeidah, echoing a view widely held in Jenin. President Bush and Prime Minister Sharon speak of a state of Palestine as almost a historical inevitability. But on the ground, the economy is growing more dependent on foreign donors, and institutions of statehood are crumbling. Donors contribute a billion dollars a year, one-third the Palestinian gross national product, with Palestinians receiving more aid per capita than any country has received since World War II, the World Bank says.
2004-07-15 00:00:00
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