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Israel Seeks to Boost the Palestinian Economic Sector in the West Bank
(Washington Institute for Near East Policy) David Makovsky - Last week Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced eleven economic projects for Palestinians in the West Bank including an industrial area west of Nablus, an economic corridor between Jericho and Jordan backed by Japanese funding, a hospital in Beit Sahour (near Bethlehem), and expanded residential construction in approved Palestinian master plans for Kalkilya and other towns and villages. The defense minister further argued that he saw the projects as a sign that Israel will find ways to reach the Palestinian people directly. And he announced that the Ministry of Defense will open a new Arabic website, designed to inform Palestinians of steps Israel is taking to improve their lives. The writer is director of the project on the Middle East Peace Process at The Washington Institute.