Israel swallowing West Bank

When Hamas took control of the Gaza Strip in mid-2007, a new interim government - headed by Dr Salam Fayyad - was formed in the West Bank. Immediately, some politicians promised that the West Bank, unlike the besieged Gaza Strip, would be transformed into a flourishing economy. Fayyad was keen on emphasising his intention to turn the West Bank, in terms of economy, into "another Israel".

Tony Blair, then British prime minister and the Quartet's delegate, followed suit and promised to drastically develop the West Bank's economy.

Blair, hand in hand with then Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, crystallised an economic plan for peace-making, intended "to make the difference" between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

In line with this plan, 'heavyweight businessmen' in the region were supposed to build factories and draw up plans for a joint Israeli-Palestinian economy. Foreign investment would be encouraged through measures such as attractive taxes, while Israel, on its part, would facilitate free movement, granting 'investing' Palestinian (and Arab) businessmen attractive facilities.

Two years have gone by and the living conditions in the West Bank don't seem bright. Worse, the area is beset with greater threats. Contrary to the besieged Gaza Strip, the West Bank is not only occupied, but also rife with Jewish colonists. Palestinian villagers are consequently subject to physical attacks from the colonists, who also destroy their livelihood, notably olive trees.

The more than (600) Israeli army barricades, the 'separation wall' and especially the continuous 'targeted' assassinations of Palestinians have not stopped.

The Palestine National Authority (PNA), instead of being a prelude to a state, has become a modest self-autonomy. Contrary to Blair's plan, Israel has failed to facilitate movement of individuals and trade, has refrained from encouraging investors in the West Bank and has not cooperated with the PNA or the 'foreign donors' in developing an efficient process for approving projects.

The World Bank, having described the economic situation in the West Bank as "disastrous", reports that the crisis there, unlike the world financial crisis, is not one of credit, but has to do with shortage of land that disrupts necessary stability for living, agriculture, industry and investment.

Sixty per cent of the West Bank land, is sparsely populated, and is labeled (according to Oslo Accords) as Category C or 'Totally under the control of the Israeli army'. Ever since 2000, and despite the demographic Palestinian growth, the Israelis have completely frozen transfer of land to the PNA administration. As a result, Palestinians were not allowed to geographically spread through the West Bank to develop their economy and society. This situation has caused a real crisis in the property market and in general development.

While Israel continued its colonial expansion in the West Bank, the US-sponsored Annapolis Declaration (November 2007) and failed to improve conditions. Military raids against Palestinians, even inside the cities and towns 'controlled' by the PNA, continued. The pretext used by Israel, has always been its dissatisfaction with the level of 'security performance' of the PNA against 'terrorist' factions.

Worse still is the almost complete unanimity in Israel on occupying the West Bank forever. According to Alof Ben in the Haaretz: "There is unanimity in Israel against the possibility of withdrawal from the West Bank. With the separation wall, the Palestinians can be kept controlled though out of sight."

What is accepted by both the Israeli right and the left, as Ben thinks, is the eternity of 'the status quo' - keeping tens of colonies, hundreds of barricades and thousands of soldiers behind the 'wall'.

The colonies alone are reason enough to mock any promise for turning the West Bank into a neo-Singapore. While the Israeli army has not stopped its attacks on Palestinian towns and villages, tension increases with the fascist behaviour of the colonisers, who are openly supported by many official and none-official Israeli departments.

The increased power of the extremist Israel Beitanu Party has given the colonisers a wider scope of action. This party represents the climax of the colonial movement. It calls for deporting Palestinians or gathering them in dispersed cantons that may be easily controlled, which practically negates the possibility of any independent Palestinian entity.

As such, talk of the Palestinian economy becomes a silly joke and, talk of political independence becomes an absurd joke.

We must admit that with the abnormal rift between Fatah and Hamas (causing a destructive disunity in the West Bank and Gaza Strip), it will be difficult to plan long-term development and push for peace. Under the present conditions, the West Bank cannot be a positive example for anything.

What one should be afraid of is using 'Gaza Strip sufferings' to distract the world while Israel goes on 'swallowing' the West Bank.

Dr As'ad Abdul Rahman is the Chairman of the Palestinian Encyclopedia.