Romney ruffles more feathers

Mitt

Romney’s overseas woes intensified Monday as he managed to insult yet another entire nation of people — this time Palestinians — as he praised Israeli culture for fuelling its economic success in the Middle East.

Israel’s culture, perseverance in the face of adversity and “the hand of providence” have figured prominently in why Israelis are more economically successful than Palestinians, Romney said in remarks his campaign later claimed were “grossly mischaracterized.”

“As you come here and you see the GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, for instance, in Israel, which is about US$21,000, 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,” he said.

Pointing to the book “The Wealth and Poverty of Nations,” Romney went on to cite the author David Landes’s thesis.

“He says if you can learn anything from the economic history of the world, it’s this: culture makes all the difference. Culture makes all the difference. And as I come here and I look out over this city and consider the accomplishments of the people of this nation, I recognize the power of at least culture and a few other things,” Romney said, including “the hand of providence.”

He added similar economic disparities exist in other parts of the world, including the United States and Mexico.

World Bank data shows Romney’s numbers were way off, with Palestinians far worse off than Israelis: Israel’s 2011 per capita GDP was about $31,000 in 2011, while the West Bank’s and Gaza’s was just above $1,500.