Israeli occupation cost to Palestine economy amounts to $ 7bn a year

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"A senior Palestinian expert says a recent study shows that the cost of Israel’s military occupation to the Palestinian economy amounts to around $ 7 billion per year. Israel continues to invest its energies in prolonging occupation and maintaining the status quo instead of peaceful coexistence, he added.

Hisham Wasef, a high-ranking official in the Palestinian embassy here, said “Having successfully completed its two-year state-building plan, the Palestinian authorities continue to confront enormous challenges posed by the ongoing Israeli occupation while continuing the momentum towards full sovereignty.

Palestine is recognized as a state by 132 countries. The Palestinian people’s right to self determination is internationally recognized and long overdue. It is a fundamental right that is not up for negotiations. Nor can its implementation be subject to whims of Israel, whose actions are aimed at consolidating the occupation and making it irreversible.

Regrettably, Israel is attempting to deflect attention from its culpability in the continued deprivation of the Palestinian people’s right to economic prosperity, freedom and independence. The annexationist regime has produced a document alleging that the Palestinian economy was unstable despite its certain knowledge that the statement is false and irrelevant."

Through its deed and rhetoric, Israel works towards indefinitely postponing the Palestinian rightful demand for statehood and independence and wants to maintain the status quo. Israel chose to ignore the international consensus “that for Palestine to reach its full economic potential, the Israeli occupation has to end. This is the real reason why the Palestinian economy is still dependent on international aid."

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