Once again, Mitt Romney has put his foot in his mouth. The Republican Presidential nominee insulted Palestinian leaders after telling Jewish donors Monday that their culture has allowed them to be more economically successful than the Palestinians.
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According to the Associated Press, Romney’s comments outraged Palestinian leaders, who called his statements racist and out of touch.
Romney told about 40 wealthy donors who breakfasted around a U-shaped table at the luxurious King David Hotel:
“As you come here and you see the GDP per capita, for instance, in Israel which is about $21,000 dollars, and compare that with the GDP per capita 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.”
The reaction of Palestinian leaders was swift and pointed.
Saeb Erekat, a senior aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said:
“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…It seems to me this man (Romney) lacks information, knowledge, vision and understanding of this region and its people…He also lacks knowledge about the Israelis themselves. I have not heard any Israeli official speak about cultural superiority.”
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 continues to stumble during this election with his unwise and uniformed comments.
