(Al Shunah) – US Secretary of State John Kerry unveiled a plan to boost the Palestinian economy by attracting $4 billion in private investment, saying it could transform the lives of the people. As he seeks to bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the table to negotiate a peace deal, Kerry said it was also imperative to create jobs and meet the hopes of young people for a better economic future.
He has tasked Tony Blair, the Quartet’s special envoy to the Middle East, with drawing up a plan to revitalise the West Bank through boosting industries such as tourism, construction, information technology and agriculture. Blair’s plan, being aided by some global business leaders who are giving their time free, could be ground-shaking. The group was putting together recommendations for the Palestinian leadership to decide on, aiming to mobilise some $4 billion of investment. These experts believe we will increase the Palestinian GDP by as much as 50 percent over three years,” Kerry told the closing session of the World Economic Forum meeting on the shores of the Dead Sea in Jordan.