Economic Development | The American Task Force on Palestine

Israel Media Fear Canceled Gas Deal Harbinger of Things to Come
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Egypt Independent
by Jordan Gerstler-Holton - April 24, 2012 - 12:00am

Following reports that the Egyptian company responsible for exporting natural gas to Israel decided to cut off shipments, both Israeli and Egyptian officials have rushed to downplay the crisis, saying the move resulted from commercial considerations, not political ones. But despite these efforts, Israeli media fear the unilateral move represents a step toward Egypt deciding to shelve the two nations’ bilateral peace accord in place since 1979.

VAT director: Drop in Tax Evasion Boosts PA Revenues
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
April 24, 2012 - 12:00am

HEBRON (Ma’an) -- Top VAT official Ahmad al-Helou told Ma'an on Tuesday that better enforcement of tax procedures has boosted the Palestinian Authority's budget. The Ministry of Finance VAT Director said VAT revenues increased from 2.4 billion shekels ($638 million) in 2008 to 3.3 billion shekels ($878 million) in 2011. Updated equipment in Palestinian shops and the use of tax receipts has increased enforcement of tax collection, he said.

Palestinian Authority blames Gaza for deficit mess
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 12, 2012 - 12:00am

Paying for the upkeep of the Gaza Strip while its political rival actively blocks revenues flowing back is taking its toll on the deficit-racked Palestinian Authority. A barrage of mutual accusations in recent weeks has driven Hamas and Fatah ever further apart as stalled efforts at reconciliation and economic stagnation have jangled nerves on both sides. Crippling power cuts in the small coastal enclave have only added to the acrimony and lifted the lid on often opaque Palestinian funding.

With West Focused on Iran, Netanyahu Moves to Expand Israeli Settlements
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Christian Science Monitor
by Ben Lynfield - April 12, 2012 - 12:00am

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is moving to expand Israeli settlements in the West Bank at a time when international attention is focused elsewhere, with President Obama gearing up for reelection and the West targeting Iran's nuclear program. Last week, the Netanyahu government took a variety of steps that, taken together, amount to a significant strengthening of Israel's hold in the West Bank, the biblically resonant territory occupied in 1967, which Palestinians claim as the heartland for their future state.

Hamas Accuses Egypt of Blocking Qatari Fuel Supplies to Gaza
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Xinhua
April 10, 2012 - 12:00am

GAZA, April 10 (Xinhua) -- Hamas government on Tuesday accused Egypt of blocking a Qatari ship, loaded with fuel for the only power plant in the Gaza Strip, of delivering its shipment to the Palestinian enclave. "Some Egyptian sides insist to prevent the Qatari fuel from coming to Gaza," said Mohammed Awad, Hamas' foreign minister. "We negotiate with Egyptian authorities to bring in the fuel to Gaza when the ship docks in Egypt." Last week, Hamas authorities said that Qatar would send 25 tons of diesel to Gaza's power plant, which suffers frequent shut-downs.

The economics of Palestine
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by Gershon Baskin - (Opinion) April 9, 2012 - 12:00am

Over the past couple of weeks I have been spending a considerable amount of time in Ramallah, assisting in the development of a project on trade facilitation which will be funded by the US government to help the Palestinian private sector to build the economy and ensure continued stability.

AP Interview: Jerusalem mayor sees vast potential in tourism
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Associated Press
April 5, 2012 - 12:00am

JERUSALEM — When Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat stares out at his city, the one-time venture capitalist sees fresh opportunity: He believes he can turn Jerusalem into one of the world’s leading tourist destinations, on par with New York, Paris and London. In a city known as much for its religious strife as its religious sites, this will be no simple task. But Barkat, sounding very much like the businessman he once was, says he has a product that’s easy to market. He confidently predicts he can nearly triple the number of visitors over the next decade.

Tribalism and the Zionist BDS Debate
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Jerusalem Post
by David Harris-Gershon - April 5, 2012 - 12:00am

In January, Andrew Adler, the owner and publisher of the Atlanta Jewish Times, wrote that Israel should “give the go-ahead for US-based Mossad agents to take out a president deemed unfriendly to Israel.” He saw the tactic as a way to resolve divergent opinions between the two countries on how to deal with Iran.

PA, Egypt Sign Gas Deal to End Gaza Crisis
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from Ma'an News Agency
March 28, 2012 - 12:00am

CAIRO (Ma'an) -- The Palestine Electricity Company on Tuesday announced a deal with Egypt to provide gas to the Gaza Strip. Palestine Electricity Company director in Gaza Walid Saad Sayil signed the agreement with the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation in Cairo on behalf of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority. Sayil told reporters that Egyptian technicians have been instructed to conduct geographical surveys to find the best route for a network of pipelines to transport gas from Sheikh Zweid to the Rafah crossing on Gaza's border.

Palestine Exchange to List Its Own Shares
ATFP World Press Roundup Article from The Media Line
by David Rosenberg - March 28, 2012 - 12:00am

The Palestine Exchange (PEX), which makes a market for shares in 46 local companies with a combined market capitalization of $2.9 billion, is on its way to becoming a publicly traded stock itself. Shares in the PEX will begin trading on the Ramallah-based exchange April 4, the 15th anniversary of its founding, after Palestine Development & Investment Company, PEX’s biggest shareholder, has sold the first of a planned two million shares. When all the shares are sold, a process that could take up to a year, the public will hold about 20% of the exchange.

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