Hey y’all - I think the most important part of the report Charles linked to was this:

But diplomats said many of the pledges made at five donor and investor conferences held since December 2007, including one in Egypt on Monday, were counted more than once, have yet to materialise or were too vague to rely on.

Much of the money depends on Israel fully opening border crossings with Hamas-ruled Gaza, and lifting restrictions in the occupied West Bank where Abbas’s Palestinian Authority holds sway, or has been linked to progress in stalled peace talks and Palestinian reconciliation, casting doubt on future payouts.

One senior Western diplomat criticised the pledging process as “smoke and mirrors” because of double-counting. Another said the big-figure headlines from donors eager to look forthcoming, combined with a lack of transparency, were “getting ridiculous”, noting that despite the cascade of pledges, the Authority was still struggling to pay full wages to its workers on time.

I’d like to suggest that there be two tests ONLY for the PA to get any money from anywhere: the first is NO MORE ATTACKS ON OR IN ISRAEL. The Second is that at least 75% OF ALL DONATED MONEY MUST BE SPENT ON BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE, PROMOTING AGRICULTURE AND INDUSTRIES THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ATTACKING ISRAEL, all as certified - as the money is doled out - by some independent certified accountants - independent as in not the UN, not the Palestinians, and definintely not the Muslim States or other countries which provide the aid. The understanding being that if the money isn’t spent as required, the PA would get NO MORE MONEY from anyone outside of “Palestine”.