RAMALLAH, 18 October 2007 — The international Quartet’s envoy to the Middle East Tony Blair is proposing the creation of a tripartite committee that would press for reforms in the Palestinian security organizations, and for improvements in the freedom of movement in the West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said yesterday.
This is one of the ideas that Blair recently offered Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, as part of a plan of action. Blair calls his plan the Rapid Effect Project, and he is of the opinion that in the coming month or two, it is necessary to carry out a series of high-profile actions that will create a feeling among the Palestinians in the West Bank that there are positive developments that will improve their lives.
The tripartite committee is meant to monitor the implementation of commitments made by both sides in matters of security in the West Bank. For Israel, this would mean various steps to ease conditions for the Palestinians, while for the PA, in addition to various reforms, it would require action against Hamas and the Islamic Jihad movements.
During recent talks with Israeli officials, Blair was asked about his overall involvement. He said it stems from the fact that only a clear political horizon will enable an economic and security plan to be implemented. Blair is convinced that without significant Palestinian efforts to counter “terrorism,” there is no chance to achieve genuine progress.
However, Blair also told Olmert that it is very important to remove roadblocks and checkpoints on roads and entrances of Palestinian cities in the West Bank, stating that these pose a main obstacle to economic activity in the West Bank.
Blair also put forth a series of economic steps, some of which require significant Israeli assistance. The first is the establishment of a new Palestinian city near Ramallah. This is a subject that was already raised in talks among Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the United States.
The Quartet envoy thinks that in a new city, it would be possible to settle tens of thousands of Palestinians living in dreadful conditions and poverty in West Bank’s refugee camps. Blair is also proposing using the West Bank city of Jericho as a model for the method for transferring to the PA full control over urban centers in the West Bank.
Meanwhile, a study, published on the occasion of UN-recognized International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on Tuesday, found that the average wage in the Gaza Strip is 1,690 Israeli shekels ($419) a month for a full time position (76 shekel per day) (roughly $8.85), compared to an average wage of 7,920 shekels (roughly $1,964) paid in Israel (360 shekels) (roughly $89) per day, including part time workers.
These findings are based on data collected in the Palestinian Authority by the Israeli New Family organization dedicated to advancing family rights and the rights of individuals within families.
