Yasser Arafat once replied to a question about his ubiquitous costume of battle fatigues that if the world gave him a state, he would wear a suit. He wanted to convince the world that the Palestinians would transform themselves into a stable, self-governing electorate once they ceased living under Israeli rule. They have their chance in Gaza, but unfortunately for those who bet millions on Arafat's predictions, the Palestinians show little evidence of desiring stability or self-government at all, including the so-called Palestinian Authority:

Palestinians looted dozens of greenhouses on Tuesday, walking off with irrigation hoses, water pumps and plastic sheeting in a blow to fledgling efforts to reconstruct the Gaza Strip.

American Jewish donors had bought more than 3,000 greenhouses from Israeli settlers in Gaza for $14 million last month and transferred them to the Palestinian Authority. Former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, who brokered the deal, put up $500,000 of his own cash.

Palestinian police stood by helplessly Tuesday as looters carted off materials from greenhouses in several settlements, and commanders complained they did not have enough manpower to protect the prized assets. In some instances, there was no security and in others, police even joined the looters, witnesses said.

With the Israelis disinclined to provide any economic assistance to people who burn synagogues to the ground when they act moderately, Palestinian leaders had hoped that the greenhouses would generate some high-tech jobs for the Gazans and allow them to create a middle class. Instead, the looters ransacked them, damaging 30% of the expensive systems, and even the police decided to take part in their dismantling.

It looks as though the Palestinians lack the confidence to bet with Yasser Arafat on the whole stability-through-statehood idea. They appear to have little confidence in their government to provide them with an environment which will create prosperity and security. Looting takes place in a power vacuum (as we saw in New Orleans), and the inability of the Palestinian Authority to protect its most vital economic assets in the region should demonstrate to everyone the empty shell that the PA has always been, especially in Gaza.

The $14 million went to the losing horse in this race.

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