A guest post by Geary

Please take the following quiz on topics regarding Palestinian quality of life, demography and history, and test your knowledge with the answers provided below.

Questions

1.) Rank these countries according to life expectancy (longest first).

Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Gaza, Russia, & world average

2.) Rank these conflicts (since 1950) in terms of number of casualties.

Burma/Myanmar; Russia-Chechnya; Arab-Israeli conflict; Zimbabwe civil disorders; Iranian Revolution; Repression of Kurds (Turkey,Iraq,Iran);  Sudan civil wars 

3.) How many Palestinians were treated in Israeli hospitals in 2010?

None; 180; 1,800; 18,000; or 180,000

4.) Which of the following organs of Palestinian society are under “occupying” Israeli control?

Education system; The Judiciary; The Press; or None of the above

5.) Rank these countries by rate of economic growth (GDP, 2009 figures)

Australia, Germany, Israel, Egypt, Palestinian Territories, Hong Kong, and Brazil 

6.) The UN Human Rights Council has passed more resolutions against Israel over the Palestine question than against all other nations combined.

Which of these countries are not currently serving on the UNHRC?

Sweden, Russia, Pakistan, Canada, Cuba, Saudi Arabia, China

7.) How much of Gaza’s electricity is supplied by Israel?

None, 10%, 33%, 50%, or 70%

8.) Rank these countries in order of family home ownership.

United States, Italy, Palestinian territories, France, Germany, and Switzerland

9.) Since Arafat launched the 2nd Intifada War against Israel, the last decade has been by far the most costly in Palestinian lives in the history of Israel-Palestinian relations. How many Palestinians have died in conflict with Israel since 2000?

Less than 10,000; 10,000 – 20,000; 20,000 – 30,000; 30,000 – 40,000; or more than 40,000 

10.) In the Second Intifada War against Israel, how many Palestinians were killed by other Palestinians (the “Intra-fada”)?

70; 170; 370; or 570

ANSWERS

1.) Rank these countries according to life expectancy (longest first)

i)                 Gaza Strip – 73.4 years

ii)                Egypt – 72

iii)               Brazil – 72

iv)               Turkey – 72

v)                World average – 66.6

vi)               Russia – 66

So you can expect to enjoy an extra 16 months if you were born on the Gazan side of the Rafa Crossing than if you were born on the Egyptian side.

The average West bank Palestinian does better still, at 74.5, which may well be explained in part by Question 3.

And given that the average Gazan lives longer than the average Turk, perhaps those ‘humanitarian’ flotillas should be heading in the opposite direction.

Sources, here and here.

2.) Rank these conflicts (since 1950) in terms of number of casualties.

i)  Sudan civil wars – 1.9 million casualties

ii)  Repression of Kurds – 300,000

iii) Russia–Chechnya – 140,000

iv) Burma/Myanmar – 130,000

v)  Sri Lanka – 8,000

vi)  Iranian Revolution – 80,000

vii) Zimbabwe – 60,000

viii) Arab-Israeli conflict  52,000

In fact the Arab-Israeli conflict comes just 49th in the list of the worst conflicts of the last sixty years, many of which are, shamefully, completely forgotten or ignored by the western press.

Source

3.) How many Palestinians were treated in Israeli hospitals in 2010?

i)                  None

ii)                 180

iii)                1,800

iv)                18,000

v)                180,000

These included many thousands of patients from Gaza, despite its government’s constant attacks on Israeli citizens.

Israeli hospitals would be able to treat many more Palestinians if security was not an issue. Before the 2000 Intifada was declared, any Palestinian could simply arrive at an Israeli hospital and be treated.

Source

4.) Which of the following organs of Palestinian society are under “occupying” Israeli control?

i)                  Education system

ii)                 The judiciary

iii)                The press

v)                None of the above

 Compare this to, say, the complete lack of autonomy of the Kurds and other minorities in Turkey.

5.) Rank these countries by rate of economic growth (GDP, 2009 figures)

i)                  Palestinian Territories (8%)

ii)                 Brazil  (7.5%)

iii)                Hong Kong  (6.8%)

iv)                Egypt  (5.1%)

v)                 Israel  (4.6%)

vi)                Germany  (3.5%)

vii)               Australia  (2.7%)

After the economic depression which accompanied Arafat’s Intifada War on Israel, and after the building of the Security Fence to protect Israelis from terrorist aggression and restore security to the West Bank, things are definitely looking brighter for the Palestinian economy.

Sources: Here, here, and here.

6.) The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has passed more resolutions against Israel over the Palestine question than against all other nations combined.

Which of these countries are not currently serving on the UNHRC?

Sweden and Canada are not on the UNHRC, whilst China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and Pakistan are.

Source.

7.) How much of  Gaza’s electricity is supplied by Israel?

i)                  none

ii)                 10%

iii)                33%

iv)                50%

v)                70%

Israel supplies over 70%, Egypt a ‘generous’ 5%, with the remaining 25% coming from the Strip’s lone plant.

Source.

8.) Rank these countries in order of family home ownership.

i)                 Palestinian territories  84%

ii)                 Italy 78%

iii)                United States 65%

iv)                Sweden 60%

v)                 France  54%

vi)                Germany 43%

Sources, here and here.

9.) Since Arafat launched his Intifada War against Israelis, the last decade has been by far the most costly in Palestinian lives in the history of Israel-Palestinian relations.

How many Palestinians have died in conflict with Israel since 2000?

i) Less than 10,000 (Around 6,000, combatants and non-combatants.)

ii) 10,000 – 20,000 

iii) 20,000 – 30,000

iv) 30,000 – 40,000

v) More than 40,000 

Sources, here and here.

To put this in perspective: 20,000 are feared dead in one month in 2009 of the Sri Lanka conflict

Between 50,000 and 70,000 have died in the same decade in Chechnya, whilst 35,000 people have died inMexico’s drugs wars since 2005.

10.) In the Second Intifada War against Israel, how many Palestinians were killed by other Palestinians (the “Intra-fada”)?

i)    None

ii)    70

iii)   170

iv)   370

v)    570

Source.

Or, more precisely, 557 according to B’Tselem. For some reason, few, if any, international protests were heard on such Palestinian-on-Palestinian killings.

YOUR SCORE

8-10         Well-informed. You are probably a regular visitor to CiF Watch.

4-7            You often uncritically accept the mainstream media’s coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.

0-3            You likely read the Guardian as a serious newspaper.