Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., December 10, 2007 Tevet 1, 5768 | | Israel Time: 01:17 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File Hanukkah

del.icio.us Digg It!  new Last update - 01:14 11/12/2007 Palestinian PM hopes for $5.6B from donors for economic surge By The Associated Press Tags: Salam Fayad, EU donors  Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayad said Monday he hopes a donors conference next week will yield $5.6 billion to stoke the economy and lay the basis for an independent state by 2011. Fayad briefed European Union foreign ministers on his plan for economic renewal and good governance following last month's Middle East conference in Annapolis, Maryland. At Annapolis, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to resume peace talks. "We Palestinians are doing what we have to do in order to help ourselves: have strong, competent institutions that put forward the nucleus of a state we are seeking to have," Fayad said at a joint news conference with EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner. Advertisement The Palestinian government has drafted a plan to fund development and reform, institution and capacity building for a three-year period - 2008 through 2011. It will present the plan to an international donors conference in Paris next Monday. "The total amount of what we need over that period by way of assistance is about $5.6 billion," Fayad said. Ferrero-Waldner said the European Union - whose total aid to the Palestinians in 2007 amounts to $1.4 billion - will remain generous. But she stressed that the EU wants to see burden sharing from many, many other countries, including Arab states. She said key to creating a democratic, contiguous Palestinian state existing side by side in peace and security with Israel was the ability of Palestinians to move freely between the West Bank and Gaza. "More, much more needs to be done to improve the possibilities of movement and access in the Palestinian territories," said Ferrero-Waldner. Fayad said the revival of the Palestinian economy requires the removal of Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip - an area run by the virulently anti-Israel Islamic Hamas movement. "The blockade," said Fayad, "is producing absolutely nothing but misery for our people in Gaza." He said his more moderate Palestinian government has offered to manage the Palestinian side of the Gaza crossings if Israel reopens them. 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.   Euphemism For "Dhimmi Tax" 17:57  |  Ben Israel 10/12/07   2.   No, Mr. Fayad 17:59  |  Mark 10/12/07   3.   #2 Do you know the difference between Fatah and Hamas 18:54  |  Outsider 10/12/07   4.   Why not make Palestine a permanent recipient 20:17  |  Steve from Raleigh 10/12/07   5.   #4 - Suggests Matching Israel`s Financial DEAL 20:44  |  DoubleClick 10/12/07   6.   Ben Israel, what are you talking about? 20:49  |  Peter 10/12/07   7.   Peter.. a bit of clarification 21:29  |  Portoraeli 10/12/07   8.   Plan?? With 5.6 B donnated I`d be an excellent planner too 21:58  |  Alain 10/12/07   9.   What about starting to work? Building a state, not a parasite 1 22:01  |  Alain 10/12/07   10.   #1 please worry for your 22:21  |  Kris 10/12/07

Today Online Burston: Hamas - If we can kill them, we can talk to them Responses: 109 Russia said trying to lure Russian olim back home Responses: 167 Akiva Eldar: Building in E. J'lem undermines spirit of Annapolis Responses: 142 Religious party leader: Same-sex families undermine Judaism Responses: 56 Military censor: IDF revealed classified data during war Responses: 34 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 23:24 Sarkozy hosts Netanyahu, backs new UN sanctions on Iran 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 18:28 Egypt uncovers 500 kilograms of explosives in northern Sinai 19:10 Heirs of Holocaust victims could claim up to NIS 200M in assets 19:04 Olmert vows to 'forge historic path' toward peace with Palestinians 21:42 UN calls for action to end fuel shortage aggravating Gaza health crisis 23:21 Rights group asks Mazuz to halt probe into Druze MK who visited Syria 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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