Should aid be used to further Israeli-Palestinian progress?

5 July 2005

As we are about to enter a new chapter of the conflict in which developmental assistance to Gaza will play a pivotal role, it is incumbent to all to learn the lessons of the past.

The relationship between aid, diplomacy and the 'facts on the ground' in the West Bank and Gaza Strip are little known. But, Aid, Diplomacy and Facts on the Ground: The Case of Palestine, a new book from Chatham House tries to unpick the complexities of the issue. The book provides groundbreaking analysis derived from first-hand experience of the role of funding in supporting peace, and provides direction for those involved in similar processes in other regions.

The book's findings include the assertion that, at times, aid may be part of the problem rather than the solution in Palestine and that aid has not been able to prevent the 'de-development' of Palestinian society.

The authors explore the issues from a variety of angles, but all come back to these essential questions: should aid be used as an engine of political progress? Can it? And if so, how?

Notes for Editors:
Aid, Diplomacy and Facts on the Ground: The Case of Palestine
Edited by Michael Keating, Anne Le More and Robert Lowe.
Published by Chatham House, July 2005.

Contact:
Sam Hardy, Press Office
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7957 5739

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