JERUSALEM (Reuters) - The Israeli-occupied West Bank's economy remains on course to grow about 7 percent this year, for the first growth since 2005, the International Monetary Fund said.
In notes to media accompanying a report the IMF will present to donors at the United Nations on September 22, the international lending agency said Sunday achieving the projected figure largely depended on Israel's policy toward the Palestinians.
"For the first time since 2005, there is a realistic chance that the downward trend in Palestinians' living standards in the West Bank can be reversed in the near future, provided that (Israeli) restrictions on movement and access continue to eased," said Oussama Kanaan, the IMF's representative in the West Bank and Gaza.
Declaring it wanted to shore up the economy in the West Bank, where Western-backed President Mahmoud Abbas holds sway, Israel has removed several major military roadblocks, easing the flow of Palestinian traffic in the occupied territory.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE58C1RI20090913
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