There is no doubting that the majority of people in Gaza are doing it very hard - to say the least. However, as this piece in Haaretz explains there are some who are doing quite well. A new rising middle class. That must, perforce, have consequences for the iron-fisted "rule" of Hamas.
"A budding middle class in the impoverished Gaza Strip is flaunting its wealth, sipping coffee at gleaming new cafes, shopping for shoes at the new tiny shopping malls, and fueling perhaps the most acrimonious grass roots resentment yet toward the ruling Hamas movement.
This middle class, which has become visible at the same time as a mini-construction boom in this blockaded territory, is celebrating its weddings in opulent halls and vacationing in newly built beach bungalows. That level of consumption may be modest by Western standards, but it's in startling contrast to the grinding poverty of most Gazans, who rely on UN food handouts to get by.
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Some of the well-off are Hamas loyalists. That rankles many Gaza residents because the conservative Islamic movement gained popularity by tending to the poor, through charitable aid, education and medical care - along with its armed struggle against Israel.
Palestinians shopping at the new al-Andulusia mall in Gaza City on August 16, 2011.
Photo by: AP
"Hamas has become rich at the expense of the people," fumed a 22-year-old seamstress, Nisrine, as she stitched decorative applique onto a dress. She wouldn't disclose her family name, not wanting to be seen criticizing the militant group.
Gaza's Hamas government denies its loyalists have gotten wealthy since the group came to power. Corruption "doesn't touch us," said Hamas official Yusef Rizka.
But others - even those close to Hamas - say the militant group must pay attention. "There is a nouveau riche that has followed the rise of the government," said Alaa Araj, a former Gaza economic minister and businessman considered close to Hamas. "We must sound the alarm," he said. "(Resentment) is growing in Gaza."
Gaza residents are also resentful because they feel they have suffered the worst effects of the Israeli and Egyptian blockade that was slapped on the territory when the militant group seized power in 2007. The blockade was a failed attempt to crush Hamas; instead it impoverished already poor Gazans, killed off trade and effectively imprisoned residents inside the territory.
Some two-thirds of Gaza's 1.6 million people live in poverty and rely on UN food aid. About half the work force is unemployed. Many employed Gazans are paid miserly wages, keeping them struggling."
"A budding middle class in the impoverished Gaza Strip is flaunting its wealth, sipping coffee at gleaming new cafes, shopping for shoes at the new tiny shopping malls, and fueling perhaps the most acrimonious grass roots resentment yet toward the ruling Hamas movement.
This middle class, which has become visible at the same time as a mini-construction boom in this blockaded territory, is celebrating its weddings in opulent halls and vacationing in newly built beach bungalows. That level of consumption may be modest by Western standards, but it's in startling contrast to the grinding poverty of most Gazans, who rely on UN food handouts to get by.
What do you think about this article? Visit Haaretz.com on Facebook and share your views.
Some of the well-off are Hamas loyalists. That rankles many Gaza residents because the conservative Islamic movement gained popularity by tending to the poor, through charitable aid, education and medical care - along with its armed struggle against Israel.
Palestinians shopping at the new al-Andulusia mall in Gaza City on August 16, 2011.
Photo by: AP
"Hamas has become rich at the expense of the people," fumed a 22-year-old seamstress, Nisrine, as she stitched decorative applique onto a dress. She wouldn't disclose her family name, not wanting to be seen criticizing the militant group.
Gaza's Hamas government denies its loyalists have gotten wealthy since the group came to power. Corruption "doesn't touch us," said Hamas official Yusef Rizka.
But others - even those close to Hamas - say the militant group must pay attention. "There is a nouveau riche that has followed the rise of the government," said Alaa Araj, a former Gaza economic minister and businessman considered close to Hamas. "We must sound the alarm," he said. "(Resentment) is growing in Gaza."
Gaza residents are also resentful because they feel they have suffered the worst effects of the Israeli and Egyptian blockade that was slapped on the territory when the militant group seized power in 2007. The blockade was a failed attempt to crush Hamas; instead it impoverished already poor Gazans, killed off trade and effectively imprisoned residents inside the territory.
Some two-thirds of Gaza's 1.6 million people live in poverty and rely on UN food aid. About half the work force is unemployed. Many employed Gazans are paid miserly wages, keeping them struggling."
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