Palestinians Ready for Statehood

Palestinians ready for statehood now, says Fayyad In a report to be presented to major aid donor countries, Fayyad shows that the Palestinians in both Gaza and the West Bank have demonstrated marked progress economically and socially, stresses Israel occupation must end.

...The report, "Building Palestine. Achievements and Challenges" will be presented on April 13 to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC), a 12-member committee of the European Union and United States which serves as the principal policy-level coordination mechanism for development assistance to the Palestinians.

...This is yet another step on the part of the PA toward statehood, with Palestinian leaders aiming to ask the United Nations General Assembly in September for recognition of statehood. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund praised the performance of the Palestinian Authority last week. The World Bank said Palestinians were "well-positioned for the establishment of a state at any point in the near future", despite the "stringent Israeli restrictions" imposed on them.

...In spite of such challenges, "the government will continue to build on the achievements of the past three years to ensure readiness for statehood by September 2011," Fayyad will tell donor states.