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Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad (AP) del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 20:13 18/11/2007 Blair: PA, Israel to unveil plans to spur Palestinian employment By The Associated Press Tags: Palestinians, Middle East  Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad will announce a number of economic projects that could create tens of thousands of jobs for Palestinians and give a sense of progress on the ground, international Mideast envoy Tony Blair said Sunday/ Among the projects will be a Turkish-sponsored industrial park in the southern West Bank, a sewage project in northern Gaza and road construction in the West Bank, a Palestinian official said. Advertisement The projects are scheduled to be unveiled Monday by Blair, Fayyad and Barak. The projects are designed to give some sense things could change on the ground, Blair said in a joint news conference in Ramallah with Fayyad and French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner. Blair did not provide details, but earlier told the French weekly Journal du Dimanche that the projects, if successful, will represent tens of thousands of jobs for the Palestinians. Last week, President Shimon Peres Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and met in Turkey to discuss the establishment of a Turkish-sponsored industrial park in the West Bank. The three sides also signed a framework agreement for the park. Israeli approval of an aid project in Gaza would be particularly significant. Israel virtually sealed Gaza's borders in June, following the violent takeover of Hamas, and since then has only permitted food and medicine to enter. In September, Israel designated Gaza hostileterritory, setting the stage for further sanctions. The sewage project in the northern Gaza town of Beit Lahiya is seen as urgent. Last year, one of the sewage basins near Beit Lahiya collapsed, flooding a village with waste and killing five people. The closure of Gaza, which followed more than a year of partial economic sanctions against the Hamas-led government there, has deepened despair and driven up prices. Palestinian government officials say about 75 percent of Gazans are now poor, up 10 percent from the summer. After the fall of Gaza to Hamas, Abbas set up a moderate government in the West Bank, headed by Fayyad and recognized by the international community. Fayyad on Sunday reiterated a demand that Israel open Gaza's borders. "What is happening in Gaza is of great concern to us, and something has to be done in a hurry," Fayyad he said, adding that his government would be willing to take control of the Palestinian side of those passages. Fayyad is preparing a new Palestinian appeal for international aid for 2008-2010, to be presented to a gathering of donor countries in Paris on December 17. Fayyad did not say how much money he'll request, but said earlier this month that he'll ask for monthly budget support of up to $120 million for two to three months, until pledges for a 2008-2010 development plan start coming in. Fayyad said Norway agreed Sunday to give the Palestinian Authority $31 million in budget support. Since the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian fighting in 2000, the Palestinian economy has been severely hampered by tight Israeli travel restrictions, meant to stop militants. The World Bank has said Palestinian economic recovery and decreased reliance on foreign aid are closely linked to a lifting of travel restrictions. As part of the road map peace plan, which is being revived in parallel to the U.S.-hosted Mideast conference later this month, Israel is supposed to remove some roadblocks and freeze construction in West Bank settlements, while the Palestinians are required to disarm militants and do more to prevent violence against Israel. Related articles: PA to U.S.: We'll accept nothing less than total settlement freeze Sources: PA drops out of all deal for joint draft at summit Dichter: Egyptians can stop Gaza border smuggling in one hour Bookmark to del.icio.us Talking too much Censor: IDF officers provided the press with classified information during the war. Intelligent estimate? Rosner's Domain analyzes the U.S. intelligence estimate on Iran's nuclear program.   1.   BLAIR WOULD BE OUT OF THE PICTURE IN ANY CIRCUMSTANCES 17:44  |  indrajaya 18/11/07   2.   Development? How? 19:34  |  David 18/11/07   3.   Barak worry about getting Israelis jobs 19:44  |  zionist forever 18/11/07   4.   Tony the Tin Man 20:07  |  Chaim Gorenstein 18/11/07   5.   Jobs for the Palis 21:41  |  ottomatik 18/11/07   6.   #1 - it would be hard to imagine a sillier post! 22:32  |  redmike 18/11/07   7.   #2 - Gaza and the WB were never an entity and never will be ! 22:34  |  redmike 18/11/07   8.   Blair invites pals to Britain which expects them with open arms 23:21  |  Absolute Sweden 18/11/07   9.   # 4 : How can you be so sure ? 23:28  |  christa 18/11/07   10.   tens of thousands of jobs ? 1000 is nearer the mark 23:39  |  victor hardman 18/11/07

Today Online Burston: Hamas - If we can kill them, we can talk to them Responses: 122 Russia said trying to lure Russian olim back home Responses: 179 Akiva Eldar: Building in E. J'lem undermines spirit of Annapolis Responses: 158 Religious party leader: Same-sex families undermine Judaism Responses: 56 Military censor: IDF revealed classified data during war Responses: 36 Rosner's Domain New Guest: "we neither require nor request Israel's permission to fight for Jerusalem" The CIA's brain drain (WTR) Poll: Democratic favorite for 2008? Jervis & Cohen discuss the flaws of the Iran NIE More Headlines 03:27 Moscow pushing for follow-up Mideast peace summit in April 03:12 Sarkozy hosts Netanyahu, backs new UN sanctions against Iran 03:18 U.K. pledges $500M in aid to PA if peace process successful 03:21 IAF missile kills militant, wounds at least two in northern Gaza 02:49 Study finds Maine has highest intermarriage rate in U.S. 04:26 Hamas tightens control on state institutions in Gaza 20:28 Germany frees Iranian whose release was tied to info on Ron Arad 21:48 Censor: IDF revealed classified data during Second Lebanon War 23:22 Ex-J'lem Post publisher Conrad Black gets 6.5 years in jail for fraud Previous Editions Select Day 10 dec 09 dec 07 dec 06 dec 05 dec 04 dec 03 dec 02 dec 30 nov 29 nov 28 nov 27 nov

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