Courses in gender and dance: What the Austrian government paid the Palestinians – the list of the millions!

Money for Palestinian goatherds, for Palestinian dance classes and radio stations: before Austria’s government pulled the emergency brake, seven million euros of taxpayers’ money flowed in. It is unbelievable what kind of projects were supported. eXXpress has the whole list.

After Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer and Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (both ÖVP) condemned the attacks on Israel by Hamas and other Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, they now follow up with action: “We will put all Austrian development cooperation payments on ice for the time being”.

This means that in future there will be no more money from Austria for “identity-strengthening dance courses” or courses for “gender justice” – i.e. practising gendering – in Palestine.

Attention – a look at the list of projects that have been funded so far can cause considerable disbelief.

To begin with, of course, the list of projects financed with Austrian taxpayers’ money also includes sensible measures, such as technical support for water supply. Critics, however, point out that every euro saved by the Palestinians can be spent on arms purchases.

For example, number one on the funding list, “My Right to My Future, Women for Peace”, collects 93,700 euros.

80,000 euros will also be given to the project “I can move”. The dance courses serve to strengthen the identity of Palestinian women. “Dance and community activities are used in different villages of the West Bank to deal with and transform inequality, exclusion, fragmentation and post-traumatic stress syndromes”. How well this was actually accepted is not known.

The Protestant Women’s Work in Austria tried to improve the position of 90 women within their couple relationships and the psychosocial health of 150 divorced women in Palestinian areas with 121,000 Euros.

Another 150,000 euros is to promote the participation of women in the economy in the Jordan Valley.

Remarkable: While our farmers are struggling to survive, the Austrian agency is transferring half a million euros to improve the livelihoods of pastoralists in the West Bank. In 30 locations, the resilience of sheep and goat herders is to be strengthened. In the sheep pasture, the shepherds can listen to the Palestinian radio station “All For Peace”. Unlike many Austrian media companies, it is financed with 50,000 euros.

You can find the whole list HERE.

https://exxpress.at/gender-und-tanzkurse-was-wir-den-palaestinensern-zahlten-die-millionen-liste/