risky business

The United States of America
Department of Commerce
announces:

PALESTINE INVESTMENT CONFERENCE May 21-23

The Palestine Investment Conference, PIC-Palestine, May 21-23, 2008, aims to highlight investment opportunities in the Palestinian economy. It is a platform to share innovative business designs, forge genuine partnerships between investors in and outside Palestine, and encourage the already strong relationship between Palestine’s public and private sectors. The conference seeks the active support of entrepreneurs from the Arab world, the region, and the international community. It also aims to tap into the rich and varied experience of participants.

The PIC-Palestine, May 21-23, 2008 message is simple: “You can do business in Palestine.” High-ranking members of the public and private sector from the West Bank/Gaza, Middle East, United States and elsewhere will participate in this conference to help encourage growth of a private –sector led Palestinian economy.

More information about PIC-Palestine-2008 is available at http://www.pic-palestine.ps/.

Please, contact Commercial Specialist Assad Barsoum at [email protected] at the American Consulate, Jerusalem if you have further questions.

(What do you think they will call their new country,
when and if they get one?)

Dear Investors:

The Palestine Investment Conference promises to be a historic event. As the first high profile investment conference ever held in Palestine, PIC-Palestine will jumpstart a process of integrating Palestine into the global economy.

The time has come to invest in Palestine. The international community showed its overwhelming support of the Palestinian economy in Paris last December, and PIC-Palestine intends to continue this process of creating an environment conducive to investment-led growth.

While the conference is private sector run, the Palestinian National Authority offers its full support and is working to make the conference a success. This conference will provide an opportunity to showcase the many promising investment opportunities in Palestine while strengthening public-private partnership and reforming the economy.

We are throwing a party, and the whole world is invited. This conference is a chance to show a different face of Palestine: a Palestine conducive to economic growth and international investment. I welcome you to Palestine for a chance to enjoy our hospitality, and to learn first hand that you can do business in Palestine.

Dr. Salam Fayyad
Prime Minister

University of Texas at Austin, Department of Economics

New data:

(IsraelNN.com) Arabs opened fire on two Israelis in the Samaria village of Kfar Hares on Friday afternoon. One of the two managed to run away, and was lightly wounded while fleeing. He notified IDF forces of the incident, and soldiers managed to locate and rescue his companion, who had sustained light wounds, apparently from being beaten.

Security forces said the two had apparently entered the Palestinian Authority-controlled village to conduct business.

* * * * * *

(IsraelNN.com) A new terrorist group calling itself “The Nation’s Army” has claimed responsibility for two shootings that took place on Friday morning. The group is linked to ... Al-Qaeda, which recently vowed to increase its attacks on Israel and Jews worldwide.

Gaza terrorists fired on young volunteers on Friday morning as they worked in the fields near Kibbutz Ein HaShlosha, where a young man was killed in a similar attack earlier in the year. No injuries were reported.

A short time later terrorists fired on a group of agriculturalists touring near Kibbutz Nir Am. Mati Gil, the bureau chief of Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, was moderately wounded in the attack. Dichter and others were unhurt.

If you go to the conference, would you pick me up a souvenir?