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Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2008, pages 63-64 Waging Peace Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad Asks Americans to Invest
PALESTINIAN PRIME Minister Salam Fayyad delivered a speech entitled “Investing in Peace for Palestine” to an audience of more than 400 diplomats, congressional staff, journalists and other guests invited by the American Task Force on Palestine to hear him speak at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on Feb. 11. “It is no longer enough to speak of wanting a state of our own,” Fayyad said. “It is important to lay the foundations for the kind of state we want, and to pursue our vision of a Palestinian state despite the occupation.” Fayyad discussed progress on Palestinian commitments to good governance, security, and economic and political reform despite continued Israeli occupation. “My government’s platform is amongst the most progressive in the region,” he said. “The state we seek is one that must be open and democratic, based on the rule of law, respect for human rights, equality, cultural sensitivity and religious tolerance. We intend to build strong institutions that can meet the needs of our people today and exceed the expectations of tomorrow. In short, we shall build a state that all Palestinians can be proud of—and my government will lead by example.” Fayyad has worked hard, he said, to put the Palestinians’ house in order and reform and upgrade the public finance system, including creating a single treasury account for PNA revenues and expenditures. According to the former World Bank official, his government now holds the highest international standards of integrity, transparency and accountability. As a result of these efforts, trust is gradually being re-established, Fayyad said. Congress has already appropriated $218 million of the $555 million pledged by the United States last December, following the Annapolis conference. “We expect that a substantial portion of that will shortly be deposited directly into the single treasury account. This is a major vote of confidence, and one that is likely to encourage other donors to follow suit,” Fayyad said. Over $7 billion in international assistance has been pledged to the PNA over the next three years. Fayyad said his government also has begun to reform the civil service, reducing public sector employment but also expanding the scope of the social safety net to include tens of thousands of new beneficiaries. “We have also adopted modern legislation in the fields of procurement, income tax and pensions, and have passed important legislation to combat money laundering.” Fayyad then turned to the issue of security, which is at least as much a Palestinian need as an Israeli one. “Palestinians, like all peoples, want a predictable and secure place to live,” he pointed out. “We are doing this not as a favor to Israel, and not because the Americans or the Europeans have asked us to do so. Rather, we are taking charge of security because it is in the Palestinian national interest and because this is what our people want.” His Ramallah-based government has enforced a ban on armed militias in the West Bank, he said, and addressed the issue of Palestinian fugitives by securing an Israeli commitment not to target or arrest them. Fayyad next discussed his efforts to encourage international businesses to invest in the private sector to ensure a viable economic future for Palestine. He described the devastating impact of the “Israeli closure regime,” especially in Gaza, where only limited humanitarian supplies have been allowed to enter since last June. He called for the removal of Israeli restrictions on the movement of people and goods, which prevent economic recovery and sustainable economic growth. “Regrettably, in the eight months since my government took office,” he said, “little to no action has been taken by Israel on this front. In fact, the number of checkpoints and roadblocks erected by Israel in the West Bank increased from 528 to 561 in 2007. “I firmly believe that we have demonstrated our ability to do the job, if given the chance” to “bring security and deliver law and order to the people and land of Palestine,” the prime minister said. He then touched upon the rift between Hamas and the PA, noting that “It was Abraham Lincoln who said, in 1858, ‘that a house divided against itself cannot stand.’” Fayyad blamed Palestinians’ political fragmentation on their government’s “failure to deliver freedom and peace to our people.” He said he believes that “If the Palestinian people are offered a vision of peace based on freedom, justice and dignity for us and our Israeli neighbors, I am confident that my people will unite behind that vision.” For a complete transcript of the prime minister’s speech visit <http://americantaskforce.org>. —Delinda C. Hanley |
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