News Analysis: Palestinian-U.S. dialogue brings hope to boost economy, revive stalled peace

The recent U.S. promises to the Palestinians following a two-day economic dialogue between the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) and the United States gave Palestine a new hope to ease the tight Israeli restrictions imposed on its economy.

Officials and analysts believe that the dialogue held in the West Bank city of Ramallah last week, which will be resumed in Washington soon, was a good step forward not only to boost the Palestinian economy, but to keep pressure on Israel for further development in their growing economy.

Allam Mousa, Palestinian minister of communications and information technology, told Xinhua that his ministry received U.S. promises that it would intervene to ease Israeli restrictions imposed on the sector of communications and information technology.

Mousa, a member in the Palestinian delegation that held talks with the U.S. side, said the U.S. promises were made in response to a series of Palestinian demands to boost its economy in all fields.

The PNA delegation to the dialogue comprised Minister of Economy Abeer Ouda, Minister of Finance Shukri Bishara, along with representatives of government institutions. The U.S. delegation was headed by Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles Rivkin.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO REVIVE STALLED PEACE

The peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel reached a deadlock in April 2014 due to disagreements over issues such as the Jewish settlements and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. Local politicians and analysts think that the economy may help revive the stalled peace.

During the dialogue, the Palestinians demanded a real and direct U.S. help to boost the Palestinian economy to create job opportunities and lift all restrictions imposed on the Palestinian export and import at Israeli-controlled crossings points and terminals.

"At the end of the dialogue, we began to feel positive signs of the position of the Palestinian state in the world economic system," Mousa said.

"A stronger Palestinian economy would help revive the stalled peace process," he added.

Mo'een Rajab, a Gaza-based economic expert, told Xinhua that Israel would never ease restrictions without an intervention of the international community, mainly the U.S..

"Any U.S. pressure on Israel would help the Palestinians economically and politically," he said.

"If the Palestinians manage to keep a U.S. pressure on Israel to help develop their economy and build a future state, I believe it will be a good opportunity to try another U.S. political pressure on Israel to resume the stalled peace process," Rajab said.

REVIEWING PREVIOUS ECONOMIC TREATIES

During the dialogue, Economy Minister Abeer Ouda called on the U.S. to re-arrange the Palestinian-Israeli economic ties, and review the Paris Protocol on Economic Relations signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1990s.

She said that reviewing the Paris Protocol "would certainly put an end to the obstacles that the Israeli government puts in the face of the development and growth of the Palestinian economy."

Ouda said that the Palestinians have lots of unused investment opportunities in various economic sectors such as agriculture, tourism, industry, technology, water and energy resources. He believed the main reason these opportunities were not used is the Israeli restrictions.

Ouda explained to the U.S. officials during the dialogue that the Israeli authorities are still preventing the Palestinians from investing in area C, more than 60 percent of the West Bank territories that are still under the full security control of Israel.

"I hope that the sessions of dialogue with the U.S. side would come up with recommendations and agreements that back the fair Palestinian position in boosting their national economy, having a free access of movement and investment," she said.

Abdul Majeed Sweilem, a political analyst at al-Quds Open University, told Xinhua that starting a dialogue between the U.S. and the PNA was a good step forward but not enough.

"The PNA and the Palestinian leadership should first re-arrange their internal affairs, achieve unity and end the internal split between Gaza and the West Bank in order to prepare for a stronger economy and be ready for any future political compromise that ends the conflict with Israel," Sweilem said. Endit