Gaza's economy and West Bank buses

• guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 August 2011 21.00 BST

Sami Abdel-Shafi (Comment, 23 August) justifiably mourns the lack of economic opportunities in Gaza, but yet again comes to the only Palestinian conclusion – it must be Israel's fault. Israel provided business development courses for thousands of Palestinian professionals during the 1990s, which had to cease due to the horrific terror wave of the second intifada. Tens of thousands of Palestinians used to work in Israel, until Palestinian terror also put an end to this.
Then Israel set up industrial zones around Gaza, in which Israelis and Palestinians worked together. Terror attacks, including Palestinians attacking their fellow Israeli workers, forced the zone to be deserted. Next, Israel withdrew from Gaza, leaving behind extensive agricultural infrastructure. Thousands of rockets were fired on to the homes of Israeli citizens from the exact same greenhouses that could have offered the Gazans amazing economic opportunities. Mr Abdel-Shafi should be asking his fellow Palestinians, Hamas and others, to comply with the international community's demand to renounce terror. After which, there should be plenty of new economic opportunities for Gaza.
Amir Ofek