Valley of Peace initiative

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The Valley of Peace initiative is an effort to promote economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians. It has received the personal attention and support of Shimon Peres, President of Israel. It involves ongoing joint effort by Israeli and Palestinian leaders to launch new industrial and economic projects, which will create new local businesses and job growth, and promote ongoing cooperation.

It also fits with other new trends and efforts within Israeli and Palestinian society to promote reconciliation based on joint economic effort and dialogue between both groups.

The phrase "Valley of Peace" specifically refers to the Arava Valley, in the Arava region, which runs along the southern portion of the border between Israel and Jordan. One major part of the plan is for the private sector to build a $3 billion 166km [103-mile] canal in this valley, known as the Two Seas Canal, which would connect the Red Sea to the Dead Sea and which would provide projects which might bring greater cooperation between Israelis, Jordanians, and Palestinians through greater economic integration. ^[1]

This Valley of Peace is part of a 520-kilometer [323-mile] corridor being proposed by Israeli President Shimon Peres for regional economic development. About 420km of the corridor runs along the Jordanian border, with no border fences, and another 100km touches on the Palestinian territories. Other projects involve the German, Japanese, and Turkish governments and are slated to create up to a million new jobs in Israel and the West Bank. ^[1]

1 Project contents
2 Project planning and discussion
- 2.1 Other joint economic efforts
3 See also
4 references
5 External links

[edit] Project contents

Some possible future developments along the canal may include convention centers, hotels for up to 200,000 people, restaurants, parks, and artificial lakes and lagoons, and greenhouses for winter fruits and vegetables. A high-speed train line and highway would run along the canal allowing travel between the Dead and Red Seas within an hour. The area may also become a free-trade zone, thus attracting investment from around the world. ^[1]

The canal might also include a major desalinization plant. In May 2008, it was announced that this project was getting close to being implemented. ^[2] ^[1]

The project will also include a number of other separate efforts and projects, including:

An industrial area in Jenin to create jobs. Germany pledged about $30 million to help with this. This would be used for businesses in the fields of textile, wood, and food products. A similar effort has already succeeded in the Jordanian industrial zone. ^[3] ^[4] Similar parks might also be established near Jericho. ^[5]

A joint effort by Turkish, Israeli and Palestinian private sectors, known as the Ankara Forum.^[6]^[7] This would help to set up an industrial zone for textiles near Tarkumiya, west of Hebron, among other goals of this forum and this effort. The project received the support of the Israeli, Turkish and Palestinian presidents during a trilateral summit in Ankara the previous November, according to an aide to Peres.^[3]

an airport in Eilat shared by Jordan and Israel, which will facilitate future cooperation in tourism between the two countries. It would include a Jordanian terminal, for tourists to Jordan, and an Israeli terminal, leading tourism to Eilat. ^[4]

A railway connection between Jordan and Israel, which would facilitate shipments of goods between the two countries.^[4]

Agro-industrial development in Jericho, enabling the region to be a major agricultural source for the Middle East. Japan has offered to aid in the development of this.^[4]

A joint Israeli-Palestinian university and medical center. This effort would be led by Ali Dogramaci, a Turkish professor, and will be located on the Israeli side of the Green Line, between Afula and Jenin. ^[3]

[edit] Project planning and discussion

In March 2007, the Israeli Cabinet officially decided to adopt the Peace Valley plan, which would entail promotion of and cooperation on economic development for Palestinians. ^[8] In March 2007, at a two-day conference in Tokyo which included officials from Japan, Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Japan announced a plan for peace based on common economic development and effort, rather than on continuous wrangling over land. Both sides stated their support.^[9] Peres had given this idea much attention during his participation in an international conference in New York in 2006 which was organized by former U.S. president Bill Clinton.^[10]

Israeli-Palestinian peace process
Part of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and Arab-Israeli conflict series
Israel The West Bank, the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights¹
Negotiating parties

Palestinians	Israel
History of the peace process
Camp David Accords • Madrid Conference • Oslo Accords • Oslo II • Hebron Agreement • Wye River Memorandum • Sharm e-Sheikh memorandum • Camp David 2000 Summit • Taba Summit • Road map • Annapolis Conference
Primary negotiation concerns
Antisemitic incitements • Status of Jerusalem • Israeli settlements • Israeli West Bank barrier • Jewish state • Palestinian political violence • Palestinian refugees • Palestinian state • Places of worship
Current Leaders
Mahmoud Abbas • Salam Fayyad	Ehud Olmert • Shimon Peres
International brokers
Diplomatic Quartet · Arab League · Egypt
Other proposals
Beirut Summit • Elon Peace Plan • Lieberman Plan • Geneva Accord • Hudna • Israel's unilateral disengagement plan and Realignment plan • Projects working for peace • Peace Valley plan ¹ The Golan Heights are not part of Israeli-Palestinian track v • d • e

In his inaugural speech in July 2007, Peres mentioned this effort, and asserted that there was great potential for cooperation among Israel, Palestinians, and Jordan. He also noted this might mean positive support from Arab Gulf states.^[11] In August 2007, Peres met with several Israeli businessmen to discuss ways to press the plan forward.^[12] Peres has stated that the plan might have many positive effects which might help promote peace.^[5]

In August 2007, Foreign Ministers of Israel, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, and Japan met in Jericho, and formally agreed to go ahead with this plan.^[13]

In January 2008, Peres announced that the plan had moved closer to realization, as new details were announced for implementation of joint economic effort in four locations in the West Bank. This included specific plans for industrial projects, and a jointly-built university, and investments from several countries, including Japan, Turkey and Germany.^[3] Peres discussed this with Tony Blair during Blair's visit to the Mideast in February 2008. ^[14] Peres said that efforts were moving ahead. ^[15]

In March 2008, Israeli and Palestinian civil defense officials gathered for their first full official meeting in a decade, to discuss further coordination of efforts to further pursue this project. ^[16]

USAID and the World Bank have reviewed many of the specific proposals in depth, and issued a critique of many strengths and weaknesses of the plan. ^[17]

In May 2008 Tony Blair announced a new plan for peace and for Palerstinian rights, based heavily on the ideas on the Peace Valley plan. ^[18]

In May 2008, Peres hosted a conference in celebration of Israel's 60th anniversary, called "Facing Tomorrow." ^[19] ^[20] He addressed numerous issues related to Israel's future. He discussed the Peace Valley initiative with numerous foreign leaders. ^[21] President George Bush expressed support for the idea. ^[22] Peres said that the inititative could bring lasting peace and transformation to the region. Regarding Palestinians, he said,

"They haven't established a proper government and they don't have an army. We can't unite them and we can't divide them. We can't help them politically. We can only help them economically. Today, it's possible to coordinate economic aid with both the Jordanians and the Palestinians." ^[21]

In May 2008, a major economic international conference was held in Bethlehem, at which various businessmen and local leaders discussed various opprtunities for economic development. Several leaders addressed the conference, including the director of the World Bank. ^[23] The conference was sponsored by various international private companies and some public organizations. ^[24] Conference sessions covered many details of Palestinian Development. One agricultural entrepeneur noted that Israel is his biggest market, while others speakers noted the need for coordination with Israel to allow further development. ^[25]

One major part of the plan consists of a canal between the Dead Sea and the Red Sea. In May 2008, Isaac Tshuva, an Israeli businessman, announced plans to launch this project. This would involves labor by both Israelis and Palestinians. It would also include a major desalinization plant. ^[2] ^[1]

[edit] Other joint economic efforts

A new computer company comprised of both Israelis and Palestinians has received major press coverage in Western media, as a vital new example of joint effort between Israelis and Palestinians. The company G.ho.st has offices in both Modiin and Ramallah. Palestinians have benefitted from large anmounts of venture capital available through Israeli contacts. Israeli involvement began by benefiting from the labor costs and salary levels in Palestinian society, where various Israeli business have already outsourced some business. Over time, the project becamse a partnership, owing to a large number of new Palestinian college graduates who studied information science and needed new business opportunities. ^[26]

Investors as individuals and companies, such as Michael Eisenberg of Benchmark Capital have sought to invest funds based on G.ho.st's long-term goals to create a totally web-based computer environment, free of any need for traditional software applications. Another significant connection has been through Noa Rothman, granddaughter of Yitzchak Rabin, whose organization promotes joint dialogue. ^[26]