RAND / Suisman release Arc plan for a Palestinian State

The RAND Corporation today issued the most comprehensive recommendations ever made for the success of an independent Palestinian state that would provide good government, become self-reliant economically, and improve security for Palestinians and Israelis.

The proposals – including a landmark rail, highway and infrastructure link between the West Bank and Gaza that would open the door to dramatic new development in Palestine – would give Palestinians new access to jobs, food, water, education, health care, housing and public services.

Many of the actions proposed by RAND can get underway now to begin improving the lives of Palestinians and begin laying the groundwork to sustain long-term development in a future state.

A report produced under the oversight of RAND Health titled “Building a Successful Palestinian State” describes many of the proposals. A companion volume titled “The Arc: A Formal Structure for a Palestinian State,” was produced in partnership with Suisman Urban Design, and proposes a new corridor from the northern West Bank to Gaza that would help achieve the goals of the first report, enabling Palestinians to build a more prosperous future and cope with rapid population growth.

The corridor – called the Arc – would support a high-speed 140-mile interurban rail line, highway, aqueduct, energy network and fiber optic cable linking Palestine’s major towns and cities. This would act as a catalyst to generate housing, jobs and business development. Construction of the Arc would create an estimated 100,000 to 160,000 jobs for Palestinians over five years, on top of thousands more jobs in new businesses built along the corridor. It would also foster revitalization of historic city centers and preserve forests, nature reserves and agricultural land.