Subscribe to Print Edition | Wed., September 19, 2007 , | | Israel Time: 04:51 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
  Back to Homepage
Print Edition
Diplomacy
Defense Arts & Leisure Real Estate Jewish World National Advertising
Magazine Week's End Business Opinion Rosner's Domain Anglo File Books Travel
del.icio.us
Digg It!  new
Last update - 16:09 17/09/2007
U.K.: Israel must lift obstacles to movement in West Bank, Gaza
By Reuters

Israel must strike a balance between ensuring short-term security and helping the Palestinian territories develop economically to secure a more stable future, a British government report said on Monday.

The report, "Economic aspects of peace in the Middle East," said the economic outlook for the Palestinian economy is already bleak and with its population growing rapidly the situation is unsustainable.

Advertisement

"Striking the balance between Israeli security and Palestinian economic freedom poses a great challenge for Israeli policymakers and security officials, but it is one that cannot be avoided," the report said.

The report recommends immediately removing obstacles to travel within the West Bank and operating continuous and predictable border crossings for goods and people into and out of Gaza.

It was commissioned by Prime Minister Gordon Brown in 2005, when he was finance minister. He has long argued that the political and security situation can only improve if there is a strong and sustainable Palestinian economy.

The report concludes the private sector must grow in the territories for there to be any chance of keeping unemployment at already "unacceptably high" levels and a stable relationship is needed between the Palestinian and Israeli economies.

The economy must diversify, larger private sector firms need to produce goods for markets beyond Israel and reliable export routes need to be opened up through Jordan and Egypt, it said.

And the private sector can only develop if there is a sound, transparent management of public finances, improved movement of people and goods and investment in trade-related infrastructure, energy, housing and water.

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas has been pushing for Israel to remove some of the hundreds of checkpoints that restrict travel to the West Bank and put a stranglehold on the economy.

He has also called on Middle East envoy and former British prime minister Tony Blair to spell out steps to bolster the Palestinian economy in an "action plan" he is developing.

Aid groups are concerned about the collapse of the economy in Gaza since Hamas seized power this year and have been calling for the Karni crossing into Israel to be reopened.

Bookmark to del.icio.us
Dead tide
Camel and horse carcasses washed up on Tel Aviv beaches baffled police.
Never give up
The World Bank's recommendations for Gaza are nearly impossible to implement.
  1.   ignorant Brits 15:56  |  Sean 17/09/07
  2.   Satisfy Brits and die,like those 10 workers in Ashdod murdered 15:58  |  Absolute Sweden 17/09/07
  3.   First things first 16:00  |  Yonatan 17/09/07
  4.   do the math 16:02  |  ami 17/09/07
  5.   britian 16:16  |  DOV KORET 17/09/07
  6.   Stick your report up your arse 16:18  |  SystemF 17/09/07
  7.   Sounds good why don`t we risk-share? 16:28  |  Danny - Israeli one 17/09/07
  8.   Interfering ignoramuses 16:49  |  Jasmine Murphy 17/09/07
  9.   British prescription for Israel 16:51  |  Ray 17/09/07
  10.   Israel will lift obstacles when it finds it safe for Israeli 16:52  |  Avi Moskowitz 17/09/07
  11.   You guys blind? 16:53  |  by gum 17/09/07
  12.   Screw the Brits! 17:18  |  Avraham 17/09/07
  13.   Brits 17:34  |  phil 17/09/07
  14.   one potential dead israeli is 1 to many no way until pals get ser 17:45  |  ralph 17/09/07
  15.   Good idea ,but 1st UK shoud do one thing 18:09  |  Victor_The_Egyptian 17/09/07
  16.   the report should concentrate on muslim intransigence 18:13  |  victor hardman 17/09/07
  17.   # 3 Yonathan, the same Israel that allowed the settler state 18:15  |  Mark B. 17/09/07
  18.   #3 Yonatan 18:38  |  Boycott 17/09/07
  19.   UK should stop torturing and killing innocent Iraquis 18:55  |  Rafa 17/09/07
  20.   Voctor the Egyptian 18:58  |  Fliss 17/09/07
  21.   UK says..... 19:14  |  Dagma 17/09/07
  22.   Why am I not surprised? 19:23  |  TMH 17/09/07
  23.   I`m British - please aim your bile at me (and death threats). 19:25  |  Carl 17/09/07
  24.   This is the future 19:29  |  Chick 17/09/07
  25.   AT THE END UK WILL GET NUKE FRM ISRAEL! 19:33  |  ILSupporter 17/09/07
  26.   The Queen will be crying 19:34  |  John Major 17/09/07
  27.   Said from a position of safety 19:36  |  Denton 17/09/07
  28.   To #10 19:48  |  Jean Marc 17/09/07
  29.   #27 Denton 19:53  |  Boycott 17/09/07
  30.   Help the terrorist develop 20:14  |  KUTW 17/09/07
  31.   The UK does not protest 20:18  |  KUTW 17/09/07
  32.   CHUZSPA 20:20  |  ARIEH 17/09/07
  33.   Pal population growing rapidly 20:20  |  KUTW 17/09/07
  34.   What the UK could do 20:24  |  KUTW 17/09/07
  35.   Isnt Abbas scared? 20:29  |  KUTW 17/09/07
  36.   to #11 and any anti israeli 20:36  |  fair 17/09/07
  37.   Carl,baby,so why`re you smashing German economy during the WW2? 21:00  |  Absolute Sweden 17/09/07
  38.   To Fliss # 20 - Who is talking of International Law....... 21:02  |  Dagma 17/09/07
  39.   #17 Mark B. - They have no choice 21:06  |  Yonatan 17/09/07
  40.   Carl 21:12  |  SystemF 17/09/07
  41.   #18 Boycott - as I said, 21:13  |  Yonatan 17/09/07
  42.   Sweeping Saudi/Brit corruption under the rug 21:17  |  Polybios 17/09/07
  43.   by gum 21:19  |  Israelit 17/09/07
  44.   #41 to #18 Bycitt - I mistyped 21:23  |  Yonatan 17/09/07
  45.   To KUTW # 30 - Is Britain in a Stupor..... 21:27  |  Pathfinder. 17/09/07
  46.   Goldie 21:33  |  Jews threatening UK? 17/09/07
  47.   # 23 quite clear, a little cynic, 21:52  |  Kris 17/09/07
  48.   To Yonaton Writing From Israel. No Deals 21:54  |  Dave Levy 17/09/07
  49.   # 24 this is rather the past 21:58  |  Kris 17/09/07
  50.   # 27 Look who`s speaking 22:02  |  Kris 17/09/07
  51.   if the uk was in israel`s shoes,what would they do? 22:09  |  maria 17/09/07
  52.   #34 inprovement will start when israeli interference stop 22:10  |  Kris 17/09/07
  53.   victor_the_egyptian....you don`t sound... 22:12  |  maria 17/09/07
  54.   victor_the _egyptian.....correction... 22:14  |  maria 17/09/07
  55.   And terrorists must stop attacking Israelis 22:17  |  Mark 17/09/07
  56.   Post colonial stress disorder 22:20  |  CJ 17/09/07
  57.   the uk has changed.... 22:21  |  maria 17/09/07
  58.   #30 hooray! 22:25  |  maria 17/09/07
  59.   by gum, #11, don`t hurt yourself. 22:26  |  Mark 17/09/07
  60.   To by gum # 11 - Stop getting fooled... 22:40  |  Dolly 17/09/07
  61.   Pal economy vs. belligerence 22:51  |  Wade 17/09/07
  62.   To maria # 57 - Since Queen Victoria passed away 22:56  |  Pathfinder 17/09/07
  63.   To Fliss # 20 - So much for Ashkenazi IQ..... 22:59  |  Natasha 17/09/07
  64.   Kris 23:05  |  Israelite 17/09/07
  65.   Carl 23:12  |  Jasmine Murphy 17/09/07
  66.   To Jews Theatening UK - Goldie# 46 23:16  |  Dagma 17/09/07
  67.   Israel must lift obstacles to movement in West Bank, Gaza 23:46  |  Joe Marland 17/09/07
  68.   by gum 23:49  |  Connie 17/09/07
  69.   Israel must lift obstacles to movement in West Bank, Gaza 23:51  |  Lani Rosen 17/09/07
  70.   # 55 Mark 00:13  |  widmerpool 18/09/07
  71.   Easy done ! 00:14  |  Michael 18/09/07
  72.   Dagma # 63 01:05  |  Goldie 18/09/07
  73.   Dave Levy 01:20  |  Neil 18/09/07
  74.   UK hypocrisy - what about other economies? 01:33  |  William 18/09/07
  75.   The Brits ignore the REAL Pal economy 01:46  |  William 18/09/07
  76.   So Yonatan "might is right?" 01:57  |  spyguy 18/09/07
  77.   British "Balance" 04:27  |  Bradq 18/09/07
  78.   The only way to go, a healthy strong economy for the Palestinians 13:35  |  lakshmi 18/09/07
  79.   Read it 14:12  |  x 18/09/07
  80.   X-Jerusalem 00:50  |  * BEN JABO 19/09/07
  81.   Brits must lift obstacles and precautions 02:14  |  * BEN JABO 19/09/07
 Today Online
U.S. official: Syria mustn't attend regional