Romney’s Ignorance on the Palestine Economy

Kasie Hunt and Karin Laub report that Mitt Romney can’t even get the basic facts right:

The economic disparity between the Israelis and the Palestinians is actually much greater than Romney stated. Israel had a per capita gross domestic product of about $31,000 in 2011, while the West Bank and Gaza had a per capita GDP of just over $1,500, according to the World Bank.

Romney had claimed that Israelis made only $21,000 while Palestinians made $10,000. So the economic disparity is actually much greater than Romney claimed. But the real protest comes from the assertion by Mr. Romney that it was cultural differences that led to this disparity. Hunt and Laub continue:

Palestinian reaction was swift and pointed."It is a racist statement and this man doesn't realize that the Palestinian economy cannot reach its potential because there is an Israeli occupation," said Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. "It seems to me this man lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people," Erekat added. "He also lacks knowledge about the Israelis themselves. I have not heard any Israeli official speak about cultural superiority."

TalkingPointsMemo has been all over this story noting that even Benjamin Netanyahu attributes much of the weakness of the Palestinian economy to Israel’s occupation. Perhaps it is time for Mr. Romney to come back the United States so he can focus on whatever domestic nonsensical rhetoric he has in store for this election.