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Last update - 18:53 18/11/2008
World Bank: Palestinian economy could flourish if Israel eased restrictions
By The Associated Press
Tags: Israel News, World Bank 

The Palestinian economy has "incredible potential" that could be unleashed if Israel eases restrictions on Palestinian movement, the area's World Bank chief said Wednesday, a day after a high-level World Bank delegation inaugurated a sewage storage facility in a rare trip to Hamas-ruled Gaza.

It took three years, rather than the scheduled nine months, to build the treatment basins meant to drain a sewage lake in northern Gaza. The delays were caused by an Israeli border closure of the territory, along with frequent flare-ups of violence that have made it difficult to get construction materials into Gaza.

In a new round of fighting late Tuesday and Wednesday, Israeli forces killed six Hamas militants and Hamas unleashed a rocket barrage on Israeli border communities, jeopardizing a five-month-old cease-fire.
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Gaza has been largely cut off from the world since the Islamic militant Hamas seized control by force in June 2007. Much of the world has joined Israel's boycott of Hamas, though international organizations have warned that the border closure causes severe hardship for Gaza's 1.4 million residents.

Daniela Gressani, the World Bank's vice president for the Middle East and North Africa, said the international community must not give up on Gaza.

"It is obviously very difficult to work under the current circumstances in Gaza. I don't think there is an alternative to remaining engaged," she told the Associated Press.

She said the bank would now push ahead with the second stage of the Gaza sewage project, a treatment plant. Untreated Gaza sewage is routinely pumped into the Mediterranean because the closure at times deprives Gaza of sufficient fuel to operate already overburdened treatment plants.

The delegation included senior officials of several World Bank branches, and the visit to the Palestinian territories was meant to give a boost to efforts to revive the Palestinian economy, participants said. The bank is trying to encourage investment, and on Wednesday signed a new agreement on political risk insurance.

A year ago, the international community pledged $7.7 billion (¤6 billion) in aid to the Palestinians, to be paid through 2010. The idea was to make Palestinians increasingly less dependent on aid, as the Palestinian private sector recovers from years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting. However, this scenario has not become reality.

The Palestinian economy has remained stagnant, largely because of the sharp downturn in Gaza and Israel's continued restrictions on Palestinian trade and movement in the West Bank.

Israel set up a network of roadblocks at the outbreak of the second Palestinian uprising in 2000, as a deterrent to Palestinian militants. The barriers have since become part of a complex closure regime that restricts Palestinian access to large areas of the West Bank.

David Craig, head of the World Bank in the West Bank and Gaza, said the Palestinian economy is down 30 percent from 2000. He said it has "incredible potential," comparing it to a coiled spring waiting to take off.

"What it really takes is for movement and access restrictions to be lightened up progressively, in some way that is compatible with Israel's security so that this takeoff can occur," he said.

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev said Israel is doing what it can. "We have every interest in working with the Palestinians in helping to create a more healthy economic situation," he said.

World Bank officials and Palestinian economists, meanwhile, said there is growing concern that donor countries will fall short of pledges in coming months because of the global financial crisis.

Gressani said she doesn't expect a dramatic decline in aid to the Palestinians, but added that "I do expect it will be comparatively more difficult to get the funds mobilized, disbursed in time."

Palestinian Planning Minister Samir Abdullah said that even if donors were to scale back, there was still a cushion because they had pledged more than the $5.6 billion the Palestinians originally requested. So far in 2008, donor countries paid $1.6 billion of support the Palestinian budget, and $150 million for development projects, in line with Palestinian needs, he said.

Abdullah said the bank's programs will help spur the economy, along with an increase in construction, but that lifting restrictions is key. "Hopefully, we will convince the Israelis, by pressure and bringing multinational organizations here ... to dismantle the closure regime that makes no sense after many months of improvement in the security situation," he said.
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  1.   Can the find the Hothouses that Disapeared? 06:25  |  Abdul Rahman 06/11/08
  2.   Palestinian economy could flourish if. . . 06:42  |  MichaelF 06/11/08
  3.   I have an idea 07:11  |  Ron 06/11/08
  4.   PAL Econony Hindered By FalseIslamicSupremacy Ideals & Arab Pride 07:18  |  Lavi 06/11/08
  5.   Western Taxpayer should know ! 08:24  |  Jean Van Daem 06/11/08
  6.   Transparancy of the ?Palestinian? finances. 08:26  |  Jean Van Daem 06/11/08
  7.   Palestinian economy would flourish without terrorism 09:04  |  AniAshkeloni 06/11/08
  8.   The Philistines Had A Budget Surplus Before They Started The War 09:33  |  Yishai Kohen 06/11/08
  9.   rubbish 09:35  |  molly 06/11/08
  10.   Perhaps, but lots of Jews could be killed if restrictions were 09:37  |  Yaakov K. 06/11/08
  11.   The WB is delusional 09:56  |  David Teich 06/11/08
  12.   The Jews invaded Palestine. This is terrorism 10:06  |  Natallie Durson 06/11/08
  13.   Gaza could have been a garden of Eden if 10:09  |  Benjamina 06/11/08
  14.   to MichaelF #2 - faulty reasoning 10:20  |  zeev 06/11/08
  15.   ask rabbi 10:27  |  annonymous 06/11/08
  16.   what economy? it never had one that was seperate from israel! 10:31  |  victor hardman 06/11/08
  17.   If pigs could fly, the wb would save money 10:33  |  Ilan 06/11/08
  18.   #12 nutullie have you got an atlas from 1917 10:44  |  victor hardman 06/11/08
  19.   Durson: There`s No SuchThing As "Palestine" 10:48  |  Yishai Kohen 06/11/08
  20.   BS excuses from Natallie Durson 10:51  |  Joe Sittizen 06/11/08
  21.   THAT IS THE WHOLE POINT 10:51  |  indrajaya 06/11/08
  22.   main problem 11:07  |  JoJo 06/11/08
  23.   Give Gilad Shalit back unharmed before restrictions are eased. 11:13  |  Michael J 06/11/08
  24.   But how could it do so with Hamas idealogy in play 11:14  |  De 06/11/08
  25.   No. 12 Natalie Durson 11:22  |  Gerald 06/11/08
  26.   Hostiles 11:38  |  Charles Smyth 06/11/08
  27.   to natallie durson 11:38  |  molly 06/11/08
  28.   Pals say "Let us work while we kill you" 11:45  |  Mike 06/11/08
  29.   Maybe Israel doesn`t want a flourishing neighbour...??? 12:05  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/11/08
  30.   Dino, you are a shame to our country 12:18  |  Swiss and not Dino 06/11/08
  31.   Both Israel`s and Palestine`s economies will flourish IF... 12:19  |  Ivar 06/11/08
  32.   WORLD THINK TANK:NATALIE`S BRAIN WOULD FLOURISH IF 12:25  |  a voice 06/11/08
  33.   zeev from wonderland 12:35  |  a voice 06/11/08
  34.   # 30 Swiss and not Dino 12:35  |  Swiss (Dino) 06/11/08
  35.   Overstating the facts. "Multinationals"..!! 12:39  |  Stephen. 06/11/08
  36.   Natallie Durson USA 12:46  |  Pamela 06/11/08
  37.   # 30. Swiss... The SP is not anti semitic. 12:46  |  Stephen. 06/11/08
  38.   Ivar the great.......hater of Israel 12:53  |  a voice 06/11/08
  39.   Ivor Estona 13:04  |  Pamela 06/11/08
  40.   Zeev Israel 13:23  |  Pamela 06/11/08
  41.   #16 Victor 13:30  |  Boycott 06/11/08
  42.   What I saw 13:33  |  Jackie 06/11/08
  43.   you are a proof Jews are not that smart :-) 13:33  |  to Stephen. 06/11/08
  44.   #1 Abdul Rahman 13:36  |  Boycott 06/11/08
  45.   #7 Terrorism is flourishing because of israeli restriction 13:37  |  ATMleb 06/11/08
  46.   Pamela-playing loose with words and history #36 13:44  |  examiner 06/11/08
  47.   #31 ivar the conomist advises from the saudi planet 13:44  |  victor hardman 06/11/08
  48.   to molly #27 - try to think 13:44  |  zeev 06/11/08
  49.   # 13 BENJAMINA AMEN! THEY SPENT IT ALL ON ARMS AND DEATH. 13:49  |  Petra 06/11/08
  50.   #2 Michael F 13:56  |  Said 06/11/08
  51.   to Pamela #40 14:10  |  zeev 06/11/08
  52.   But that`s the whole point of restrictions 14:22  |  W 06/11/08
  53.   Well, Natallie, you finally spitted it. Bon appetit! 14:29  |  Israeli citizen 06/11/08
  54.   #.43. No idea. Have you..? 14:34  |  Stephen. 06/11/08
  55.   Israel could have peace if Palestinians eased violence 14:47  |  x-ray 06/11/08
  56.   The Pals strike back at the fact that Israel is successful Natall 14:49  |  x-ray 06/11/08
  57.   Boycott 14:54  |  x-ray 06/11/08
  58.   Boycott 14:54  |  x-ray 06/11/08
  59.   To Zeev # 48 Autocrats? or Islamo-Fascists? 14:54  |  Israeli citizen 06/11/08
  60.   W how stupid of you. 14:57  |  x-ray 06/11/08
  61.   to "a voice" #33 (1) 14:57  |  zeev 06/11/08
  62.   If, if, ,if only Israel would........... 15:01  |  John Allen 06/11/08
  63.   World Bank: More Jews could die if Israel eased restrictions 15:02  |  IDF hero 06/11/08
  64.   World Rina: Negev economy could flourish... 15:02  |  Rina 06/11/08
  65.   #52 to "W" (for "wacko" maybe?) 15:08  |  Hastaroth 06/11/08
  66.   #31 To Ivar and rest of the world 15:27  |  John Allen 06/11/08
  67.   palestinian economy is flourishing as we speak 15:57  |  barter system 06/11/08
  68.   Abdul Rahman 15:58  |  Guido 06/11/08
  69.   Like the Arabs can build an economy 16:26  |  Gee 06/11/08
  70.   Two alternatives: 1) Stop all acts of terror and preparation for 16:31  |  Jehudah Ben-Israel 06/11/08
  71.   Palestinian economy could flourish.. 16:34  |  David Nigel Braham 06/11/08
  72.   This Is Precissely What Israel Does Not Want 16:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 06/11/08
  73.   Where are the environmentalists? 17:01  |  zaz 06/11/08
  74.   The World Bank`s Wartime Economic Focus 17:55  |  Jeff Northridge 06/11/08
  75.   Swiss (Dino) Israel supports a flourishing neighbor 18:50  |  David Israel 06/11/08
  76.   Palestinian economy 19:03  |  Gerard 06/11/08
  77.   Israel 19:32  |  T A Sheppard 06/11/08
  78.   18#Victor hardman.You did hear of PALESTINE 20:12  |  Willian O C. 06/11/08
  79.   Palestinian economy could flourish....... 20:22  |  peter 06/11/08
  80.   Willian O C. #68 wrong 20:26  |  Gee 06/11/08
  81.   to John Allen #62 - 2nd try 20:32  |  zeev 06/11/08
  82.   Arrogance and distorted values 20:32  |  Jess Ghannam 06/11/08
  83.   to x-ray #60 - 2nd try 20:34  |  zeev 06/11/08
  84.   To Michael J 20:36  |  christa 06/11/08
  85.   "palestinian" economy could flourish if they stopped the murder.. 21:28  |  Sammy 06/11/08
  86.   Maybe "palestinians" shouldnt have destroyed the greenhouses.... 21:31  |  John 06/11/08
  87.   Palestinian economy could flourish if... 21:45  |  Johnny 06/11/08
  88.   Palestinian economy 21:46  |  Ralph 06/11/08
  89.   Thanks u.n./world bank, for nothing! 21:49  |  Mark 06/11/08
  90.   Pipe bombs;C4;homicide bombers;acid thrown 22:18  |  Arie 06/11/08
  91.   does it make you proud zion to destroy another people? 22:57  |  does it make you 06/11/08
  92.   World Bank = My Tax Dollars 22:59  |  Binyamin 06/11/08
  93.   In fact, a flourishing Gaza 23:05  |  Robert Haymond 06/11/08
  94.   William OC`s Palestine 23:13  |  SDHD 06/11/08
  95.   This is Decidedly Not News 23:57  |  JP 06/11/08
  96.   Why ? 00:06  |  Serge 07/11/08
  97.   to John Allen #62 - 3rd try 00:17  |  zeev 07/11/08
  98.   to x-ray #60 - 3rd try 00:19  |  zeev 07/11/08
  99.   Arie - The Germans were most offended 02:30  |  Mark Lincoln 07/11/08
  100.   To #25, Gerald and Mollie 02:32  |  Jimbo 07/11/08
  101.   # 75 David Israel 02:40  |  Swiss (Dino) 07/11/08
  102.   #91, proud Jews gave $20 million in Hot Houses to Arabs 03:49  |  David 07/11/08
  103.   to molly, #27 et al 04:41  |  David M 07/11/08
  104.   Swiss (Dino) If Arabs relly don`t want to destroy Israel 05:22  |  David Israel 07/11/08
  105.   John Allen and the rest of the wingnuts... 05:33  |  BBSNews 07/11/08
  106.   David stop with the greenhouses already... 05:45  |  BBSNews 07/11/08
  107.   David M from Canada 05:56  |  David Israel 07/11/08
  108.   Two words David Israel, Saudi Plan... 06:00  |  BBSNews 07/11/08
  109.   Weakness 06:15  |  Jim 07/11/08
  110.   #3 Ron 06:21  |  Jim 07/11/08
  111.   Mark Lincoln and the Germans 06:22  |  SDHD 07/11/08
  112.   David M`s Irgun 06:26  |  SDHD 07/11/08
  113.   #7 Ani Ashkeloni no coiled springs allowed 07:20  |  Jim 07/11/08
  114.   BSNews and his Saudi Plan 07:41  |  SDHD 07/11/08
  115.   To BBSNews #106 - Your Photos of those Greenhouses 08:21  |  Natasha 07/11/08
  116.   To #84 christa 11:05  |  Michael J 07/11/08
  117.   #65. Hastaroth. Want to see a real wacko? 11:08  |  zmogus 07/11/08
  118.   to "a voice" #33 (2) - 5th try 15:11  |  zeev 07/11/08
  119.   Corporate Media Complicit In Israeli Atrocities 20:28  |  Gray 07/11/08
  120.   to Israeli citizen #59 04:17  |  zeev 08/11/08
  121.   to proud David #102 04:20  |  zeev 08/11/08
  122.   to Natasha #115, news for you 04:23  |  zeev 08/11/08
  123.   #119:Gray and trivialization and overreaction 14:28  |  DOC HOLLIDAY 08/11/08
  124.   Palestinian economy would flourish... 12:07  |  Ehud 10/11/08
  125.   Charles Smyth #26 08:03  |  Mike McKenna 18/11/08
  126.   Here is the slap in the face 08:06  |  ELIAS KHOURY 18/11/08
  127.   Zeev, I respect your comments, but what do you mean by "foreign" 08:12  |  ELIAS KHOURY 18/11/08
  128.   Ehud #124 the "peaceful mid 90`s" 08:14  |  ELIAS KHOURY 18/11/08
  129.   David Israel #107 don`t make it as if Jews were large 08:18  |  ELIAS KHOURY 18/11/08
  130.   SDHD #112, IMMIGRANTS ON BOTH SIDES? 08:22  |  ELIAS KHOURY 18/11/08
  131.   to Elias Khoury #127 - 2nd try 23:14  |  zeev 18/11/08
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