Western Union and MoneyGram Discriminate Against Gaza Strip

I came across this article and it brought me back to a recent experience of mine which is very similar. The details with my situation were slightly different but still comparable. I know that these people deserve better, Gaza should be allowed money transfers. Not everyone there is a terrorist. USA and Israel among most governments are terrorist organizations as the following article states but we can still send their average citizen money.

This is discrimination at its ugliest.

All Gazans are not terrorists!

Sure there are complicated reasons why they might not allow transfers to Gaza, but then equal standards should apply to all countries...

I contacted the writer of this article and explained my similar experience and they gave me the right to post the whole article without fear of copyright issues.

They have a contact us page if you are worried, but this needs to be seen. It is just unfair and really puts things into perspective. Things are not fair, and these standards we are commaded to abide by to not apply to all organizations.

This is a good read even though the English isn't the greatest, but they remind me a lot of myself and I wish everyone had the courage to speak out against the unfair rules implemented against the people of Gaza, as if they are animals in cages with no rights.

Western Union and MoneyGram do not allow money transfers to the citizens of Gaza. I just found this out after trying to send money online, then over the phone.

I have a friend/business partner who lives in Gaza City who does photography and I was going to assist them with some of the cost for their camera equipment since we are trying to shed light on the situation there for the world to see.

First I tried MoneyGram. According to their website they only allow transfers to “PALESTINAN TERRITORY, OCCUPIED” which is most likely the West Bank. I called their customer service just to be told that they do not send money to “Gaza City” and could not provide an exact reason.

Next I tried the Western Union website. They also allow transfers to “Palestinian Authority” but not Gaza City. I called their customer service and spoke to a very nice lady, there was a language barrier but she was very helpful and polite. We were near completion of my transfer when she asked if she can put me on hold. When she returned she informed me that it turns out that her screen told her that they cannot wire money to Gaza City, only to Israel and the “Palestinian Authority”. She could not provide a valid reason for this.

I did find this though, scroll to the bottom of page one …

www.point-westernunion.com...

Western Union money transfer to Palestine, Gaza

Western Union has entered into an agreement with Postale, French bank , branch of La Poste Group, to provide account holders of this bank money transfer services on the basis of the account (ABMT).Cash transfer via Western Union can be get by the recipient in a few minutes in each of 80,000 agent locations in any country in the world (for security sender should specify the country in which the transfer is directed).When sending a remittance, the operator requests to fill in WESTERN UNION’s letterhead “Application for sending the money.” The completed application form with the corrections is not accepted for the operation.Beware of unexpected letters and e-mails from Nigerian officials or another foreign government for permission to transfer money to your name via Western Union.

So according to my research, the only possible way that I am aware of sending money to a citizen of Gaza is if they are part of the ‘Postale, French bank , branch of La Poste Group”. I am confident that most of you are aware of the situation in Gaza, most people are not able to be part of such institutions due to the strict policies implemented by the Zionist Extremists within Israel, and their supporters throughout the world. The financial situation in Gaza is not great.

My first guess is that most of the world’s governments consider Hamas to be a “terrorist organization”, which is why it is difficult to complete financial transactions in this territory. I am not here to defend or criticize Hamas as that is a whole other issue which is rather complicated. My concern is that everyone in Gaza appears to be considered a terrorist due to the world’s opinion of their elected officials. It is not fair that the average person cannot receive funds from friends or family for things people all over the world are allowed to do. As if the naval blockade wasn’t enough, but there is a financial blockade as well (not officially).

NATO, the Israeli, USA, and UK governments are terrorist organizations by definition, so why am I allowed to send money to those countries? I know the answer but will leave my own speculations out of this as in my opinion the answer is quite clear, soI will leave you to form your own opinions.

MoneyGram, and Western Union…you will never see another dollar from me. I will not do business with companies who support Israeli apartheid. I will boycott these companies, and I hope you do as well. Regrettably these institutions are the only way for some people to send money to their friends and family around the world so I will not judge anyone who uses these services as I understand the necessity to do so.

Just another day in this unjust world my friends…

topworldpost.com...

These corporations do what they are told, and leave people suffering all due to political fallacies which they promote. As the writer of the article said, these companies will get no money from me ever again...and I used Western Union quite often.

I urge everyone to contact these companies and explain your disgust if you agree.

Why don't you contact the PLO and tell them your disgust about how they spend Billions in international aid but their population still lives in abject poverty?

reply to post by Carreau


Foreign aid = Money sent to Israel.

It applies to all countries.

reply to post by Carreau


I agree, the PLO is complicit in this, but they are allowed money transfers, not the citizens of Gaza so in my opinion your point is moot. What is the PLO going to do in regard to allowing money to Gaza as they are lucky to get what they already do...Hamas and Palestinian Authority don't always play nice with each other, they both have blood on their hands...but one of them is allowed financial transactions from certain companies while others aren't...get the point yet?

You're right. Not all people in Gaza are terrorists. A good %, I'm sure, are normal people trying to get by in that little strip of land about the size of Bakersfield.

Unfortunately, those people running Gaza refuse to take out the part of their own organizational charter that calls for the obliteration of Israel and pretty much to the last man, woman and child. The wording of the Hamas charter isn't precisely that, of course, but the meaning is impossible to overlook or get wrong in any way.

If they remove the destruction of an entire people from their literal mission charter? Perhaps the land they Govern will be treated a bit differently.

Gaza residents aren't all terrorists ..but they don't have to be to suffer when those who lead them ..are. Of course..Hamas is known to kneecap political opposition as well as throw them off rooftops. So, removing the buggers may be quite tough at this stage.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Good to see you Wrabbit, it's been a while.

I know that we agree and disagree on certain aspects of this situation at the same time.

It seems you may support this block on funds to Gaza due to the Hamas charter.

If that is so, do you support a block on funds on any other regime who acts in similar ways, we both know that both ours do...we got war planes, they got what ever they can smuggle in.

This is clearly for political purposes and if the world was just everyone would be held to the same standards, I agree with the writer of the article, Western Nations and their actions are the greatest terrorists on earth, yet I can send them money!

In fact Uncle Sam sends terrorists money in Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, LIbya, Syria while they support the Israeli apartheid mechanism, just to name a few. I say it is time to ban all money transfers to the USA.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


The point is that a private company who does business inside a known terrorist community would be opening themselves up to lawsuits if they were the ones who facilitated the transfer of money. WU has no way of knowing who is behind a transfer request and they would be the subject of any ambulance chasing attorney who represents the next victim of a terrorist act.

Plus the majority of the population in Gaza did elect Hamas which they knew when they voted for them are a terrorist organization, so they now have to live with the consequences of that vote.

Get the picture now?

reply to post by Scorchio


Ahh no I'm referring to the money sent directly to the PLO and has nothing to do with Israel.

There are laws forbidding corporations from doing business with terrorist organizations, as well as facilitating illegal transactions and it is probably far easier for Western Union et al to simply avoid these transactions than deal with additional gov't scrutiny. Remember, these are money wiring and check cashing businesses and they probably already have enough "questionable" transactions passing thru their systems. Adding the link to terrorism is not going to help.

The muslim world has their own system which is, apparently, based on Islamic law.

en.wikipedia.org...

It's also possible that there simply wasn't enough business, thanks to the Hawala system, that the additional scrutiny wasn't worth the time, or money.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Well, you are great for those deep questions that I can never answer easily..and yes we do share as much as disagree on for opinion, I'd say.

In theory? Well, how can I say no and be intellectually honest about it? Yeah, if the block works for them, it should be applied elsewhere for strictly the same criteria. We both know that will never happen too, as the degree of economic power, interconnected nature to other nations and just outright strength means everything in the world.

Also though, Hamas was, before coming to power, a very well recognized terrorist organization. They were for a long time before coming to power in Gaza. So, that does change things a bit. It also changes things that they are actively targeting 100% civilian targets with homemade rockets as much as production smuggled goods, quite regularly.

You have to admit, that does play into the whole 'you don't get open cash flow to spend how you like'. Homemade rockets into homes really kills the mood on that, I'm sure. If this were a nation of 20 million people? The response would be absurd. As a 'state' the size of Bakersfield? It's a bit more understandable for how they figure this measure will have an impact and removing it would have a real negative and almost immediate one.

Just my thinking ... and you'll notice I don't say this ought to be held in Ramallah the same as Gaza City. The PLA and Hamas are very very different.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Thanks for the great answer.

Even though I can't completely agree with all of it, I see your points and why they are valid.

It's a slipper slope isn't it?

I sure think so.

Corruption Exposed
First I tried MoneyGram. According to their website they only allow transfers to “PALESTINAN TERRITORY, OCCUPIED” which is most likely the West Bank.

And here I thought they were talking about Israel.

Maybe the wording is wrong, Israel could be "The occupied land formerly known as Palestine."

double

The rumor is going around that money cannot be sent via Western Union to Gaza, but only to the "Palestine Authority".
I have been doing my best to explain that the address code for Gaza for Western Union purposes is INDEED "Palestine Authority" and that the money is INDEED going to Gaza.
I have offered to show receipts, and any proof that anyone requires, yet this rumor is still going around.
Please feel free to p.m. me on Facebook for more details on this matter.