Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein has become the darling of the Palestinians: his pictures grace the newspapers along with the those of the shahids — Intifada casualties — the Iraqi flag is raised at demonstrations and funerals, Arafat writes him thank you notes and slogans are shouted in his favor at street demonstrations.

This wave of adulation is mainly a result of the monetary aid and moral support he gives the Palestinian Intifada. But it is also the product of an old alliance between Iraq and the Palestinians.

Ten years ago the Palestinians helped the Iraqi arm invade Kuwait. When Saddam sent Scuds at Israel — they danced on the rooftops.

Now Saddam is repaying the Palestinians. This week, for example, several wounded from Gaza and the West Bank were flown to Amman and from there to Baghdad for medical treatment, at his expense naturally.

Their arrival at the airport was shown on Iraqi and Palestinian television.

The wounded were welcomed by officials and one wounded man who could walk on his own, descended from the plane holding an Iraqi flag.

In addition, Iraq has taken another 20 Palestinian wounded brought by direct flight from Gaza to Baghdad. The flight also carried an official delegation of the Palestinian Legislative Council and a representative of the Chamber of Commerce bringing the Intifada’s blessing to the Iraqi people. The wounded and the delegation were greeted in an official ceremony with many participants, headed by Saddam Hussein’s deputy.

But Saddam bought most of this honor by the money he gives the families of the dad and wounded. A month ago he decided to give the family of every dead man the sum of $10,000 and the family of wounded men $ 1,000 each.

The money is given out in Gaza, Nablus, Hebron or Ramallah by Palestinian who are activists in the Iraqi Baath or activists in the Arab Liberation Front, two tiny pro-Iraqi Palestinian organizations.

Representatives of the Arabic Front said that even families of dead among Israeli Arabs would receive grants from Saddam Hussein.

And as if that were not enough, the Iraqi president announced a week ago in a special meeting with the Palestinian leadership that he would donate $9 million to the Palestinians. The money would be given as part of Iraq’s agreement with Arab states in an arrangement of oil for food.

Iraqi aid is not just monetary. Ten days ago a convoy of 68 trucks with 4,000 tons of medicine and basic food stuffs — rice, flour, oil, lentils, tea and coffee — arrived in Amman. Israel deliberated whether to allow it in, but eventually, mainly to stave off claims that Israel was starving the Palestinians, it allowed it in. The Iraqi trucks came to Allenby Bridge and from there the goods were transferred to Palestinian and Jordanian trucks and from there to the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

This money has made Saddam a hero in the Palestinian street. The families of the dead who received the grants, publish thank-you notices in the Palestinian press to the Iraqi leader with his picture next to that of the shahid. The picture of the Iraqi leader is now seen throughout the West Bank.

But not only Iraq is participating in the effort to help the Palestinian Intifada. The outburst of feelings in the Arab world on religious grounds has lead to huge anti-Israel demonstrations and a flurry of aid – from donations of clothes and food to money. The Arab states have also decided to take in wounded. Up to now more than 150 wounded have been moved from the West Bank and Gaza Strip for treatment in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Jordan, Egypt, Yemen, Libya and Iran.

How much is this costing them?

The Saudi interior minister, Prince Naif Bin Abed el-Aziz, transferred a sum $26 million last week for the families of the dead and wounded. Another Saudi prince, Talal Ibn Walid, transferred a sum of $22 million to the PA for workers unemployed because they can’t enter Israel.

The wave of sympathy for the Palestinian in Saudi Arabia has gotten as far as McDonalds. The Saudi management of the American firm decided to set aside 30 U.S. cents from every hamburger sold there for Intifada.

Representatives of the Dubai Red Crescent Society — one of the richest principalities in the Gulf — toured the Palestinian Authority ast week and gave families of the dead envelopes full of dollars.

In Hebron they said that the money was given according to the family’s financial situation.

Generous assistance of a few tens of millions of dollars was given also by Saudi Arabia and Kuwait who paid the salaries of 130,000 PA employees.

Even the Chechen rebels have decided to make a donation. The Chechen leadership organization announced a payment of $1,000 for every “shahid” family. This announcement was accompanied by an apology that due to their difficult financial situation, they could not give more. They also sent a supportive announcement: “The jihad is one and the way to peace does not mean relinquishing land.”

The PA is also busy. It pays each “shahid” family $2,000 for and $1,000 for every wounded. The Popular National Islamic Committee pays $1,000 for each dead and USD300 per wounded.

PA officials have also paid 600 Israeli Shekels to each worker registered in the Palestinian employment bureau as being employed in Israel.

At first the grant was given to 30,000 unemployed. The Palestinian minister of labor, Rafik al-Natshe, promised that day laborers too, who work in Israel without a permit, would soon receive the aid.

Hamas pays according to the family’s financial situation, not through a one-time grant but through monthly allowances.

Families in difficult financial straits are defined as “adopted families” and receive food supplies as well.

Israel is trying to help too. The Balad movement, headed by MK Azmi Bishara, embarked on a fund-raising campaign for the Intifada.

A three-day donation campaign was declared at Hebrew University in Jerusalem to collect donations.

A leaflet distributed at the universities reads: “Every day many of our country-men are killed and wounded in the noble Intifada. The Israeli occupation forces have imposed a closure and strangulation starvation on us. That is why we urge that you donate what you can in clothes and food for our needy country-men and to the families of the fallen.”

This article appeared in Yediot Aharonot on December 13, 2000

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