Secretary of State John Kerry on Wednesday committed to $75 million in U.S. aid for Palestinian infrastructure projects.
Kerry said the aid to micro-infrastructure initiatives in the West Bank, which now totals $100 million, is part of a U.S. plan to help bring peace and stability to Israel and Palestine.
“We need to develop the economies to show both peoples that peace has the benefits of economic opportunity and prosperity and a better quality of life,” Kerry said during a visit to a USAID infrastructure initiative site in Bethlehem. “Our concern is not just whether or not people can define where the borders fall on the map, but whether or not people are able to map out a better future for themselves and their children.”
Kerry said the invesments will help with improvements to roads and schools.
“They will mean more health commitments, better transportation networks, new community centers and schools,” Kerry said of American investments. “And while the international community can help, the Palestinian Authority and municipal authorities will always be the key and the key partners in these local endeavors.”
Kerry visited the region to facilitate peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
