Is this question suitable for the site? "Did Gaza have the potential to become a 'Singapore' in the Middle East?"

Question

I have seen claims by pro-Israeli commentators that, after Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005, Gaza was no longer occupied and could have become a “Singapore” of the Middle East if the international aid they received was put to good use.

I would like to know if asking whether this claim is true (if Gaza had the potential to turn into a place with a high standard of living). Is this question suitable for the site? What details do I need to provide when asking? If not, is there any other place where it would be suitable?

Sample question:

I have seen claims by pro-Israeli commentators that, after Israel disengaged from Gaza in 2005, Gaza was no longer occupied and could have become a “Singapore” of the Middle East if the international aid they received was put to good use (lifting people out of poverty, investing in the economy etc.). It seems the example of Singapore was chosen because it’s a small country with a relatively high Human Development Index.

[Link to some famous pro-Israel commentator claiming this]

[Link to some credible source stating how much international aid Gaza has received]

Did Gaza indeed have the potential to become a place where people enjoy a relatively high standard of living on an international scale? Or were there budget, trade and/or other constraints that prevented the standard of living in Gaza to rise to such a level?

The rationale behind this question is that the same commentators claim that most of the international aid was either pocketed by corrupt politicians, or used to build tunnels and develop weapons. So, answering this question will help understand where the international aid was actually spent (on improving people’s lives or was it misused).

Answer 1

A question I sometimes ask people who post questions is "What would you expect an answer might look like, for and against the proposition?"

I can't imagine what a "No" answer would look. How could you say "There is zero chance of it happening"? If you can't say there is zero chance, then presumably you have to accept there is some potential. This appears to be unfalsifiable.

The only possible Yes answer I can imagine is first trying to hunt down what the original claimants meant when they said "a Singapore", and then finding an suitable economist who expressed an opinion based on an alternative history - but it would only be an opinion. We have no way of providing empirical evidence to support the claim. So it still wouldn't be a good fit here.

Now, this answer is an argument from personal incredulity: Just because I can't imagine a good answer doesn't mean there couldn't be one. So, it is logically weak - that's why I prefer to ask the OP whether they can imagine a good answer, rather than assuming they can't.