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1 Oct, 2011

Study: Israeli Occupation Costs Palestinian Economy $7 Billion

BETHLEHEM, Sept 30 (NNN-Ma’an) — A Palestinian Authority ministry and national research institute released a joint study Thursday which estimates that the Israeli occupation cost the Palestinian economy around $7 billion in 2010.

“Without the occupation, the Palestinian economy would be almost twice as large as it is today,” the PA Ministry of National Economy and the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem said in a statement.

Losses sustained by Israel’s occupation are equivalent to 85 percent of Palestinian nominal GDP, the study found. Without Israel’s control of resources and access to Palestinian territories, the economy “would run a ‘healthy’ fiscal surplus, ending its dependence on donors’ aid,” the report said.

via STUDY: ISRAELI OCCUPATION COSTS PALESTINIAN ECONOMY $7 BILLION