Supporting Palestinian Capacity Building:

Israel's Efforts in Supporting the Palestinian Economy, Security Reforms and Civil Affairs

Developing and strengthening the Palestinian economy and Palestinian capacity building are challenges shared by the Palestinian Authority, the international community and Israel.

Israel recognizes the importance of international support to projects in the West Bank in the areas of economic development, capacity building and the security and civil sectors. The international community plays an instrumental role in shaping, through its assistance, the manner in which capacity building projects are designed and implemented de facto and how Palestinian institutions are formed. Israel supports efforts by the international community to promote Palestinian development.

This Report presents a series of steps and actions undertaken by Israel during 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, which were intended to promote and substantially improve the West Bank economy, alongside building security and other capacities. These measures have been taken in parallel with a broader diplomatic and economic effort led by the international community, and notwithstanding the security risks posed by continued Palestinian terrorist activity against Israel’s civilian population.

The Report also briefly addresses the situation in Gaza, in the context of Operation Cast Lead and Israel’s actions to support efforts by the international community to meet humanitarian needs. Israel acted to support these efforts despite the fact that Gaza is a hostile territory controlled by Hamas, a terrorist organization supported by Iran, which continues to constitute a security threat to hundreds of thousands of Israeli citizens. As of the publication of this Report, Hamas still holds Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in captivity.

The Report provides an overview of Israeli measures to help develop Palestinian capacity in three main fields: economy, security, and civil cooperation.

Chapter one provides an overview of economic conditions in the West Bank, Israeli efforts to boost the West Bank economy, as well as bilateral economic cooperation initiatives.

Chapter two presents information on international and Israeli capacity building efforts in the security sector, as well as steps taken by Israel to ease movement and access restrictions.

Chapter three describes bilateral Israeli-Palestinian cooperation in the civil sector.

Finally, chapter four outlines Israeli efforts to support and facilitate humanitarian aid to Gaza within the context of Operation Cast Lead.

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