Arabs-Israel.

Israel Wants Marshall Plan to Help Palestinian Economy

Deputy Israeli Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon said last Tuesday that an Arab "Marshall Plan" was required in order to help Palestinians and boost the Palestinian economy, according to a report in the Jordanian daily AD DUSTOUR on Wednesday. Ayalon said, "Arabs should work to create job opportunities for Palestinians. What we need is a Marshall Plan that will build an industrial base, and for this we need foreign investment ... If you look at Saudi Arabia and all its money, they at least should send some to Palestinians as investment in order to boost the Palestinian economy." The 1947 Marshall Plan was a US project to regenerate countries in western Europe following World War II. Ayalon added that he estimated some $10 billion would be required to boost the economy in the West Bank. "It [the money] could do miracles for the economy," he said. Ayalon's comments outlined the views of the Israeli government that helping the Palestinian economy would support holding talks between Palestinians and Israel specifically, and between Arabs and Israel generally.