Bush promotes investment in Palestinian areas

U.S. President George W. Bush met with a consortium promoting investment in the Palestinians.

Bush met Monday at the White House with Tahani Abu Daqqa, the Palestinian Authority’s minister of youth, as well as members of the U.S.-Palestinian Public-Private Partnership.

Condoleezza Rice, the U.S. secretary of state, established the partnership earlier this year to promote investment in Palestinian areas spurred by U.S. funds through the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Overseas Private Investment Corp.

Walter Isaacson, chairman of the Aspen Institute, a think tank with ties to leaders in both major U.S. political parties as well as to major funders, heads the partnership.

“One of the things that interests me a lot is the fact that we are going to help the Palestinians develop youth centers, places where young Palestinians can come and learn new technical skills, or language skills, or have mentoring programs – all aimed at saying there is a hopeful future, a future where you don’t have to adhere to violence,” Bush said in the public part of the meeting. “A future where radicalism is not in your sights; a future where peace is possible.”