Dear Barack Obama
I would like to write to you about the ‘Celtic Tiger’ and what this could mean for peace in the Middle East . As you know, the Celtic Tiger was a period of rapid economic growth in Ireland . In just one decade, from the early 1990s to early 2000, Ireland was transformed from being one of the poorest countries in Europe to one of the richest. During exactly that time, the IRA announced a cessation of military operations. As a result, Ireland went from being a poor and violent country to a rich and peaceful country. It is not a big surprise that poverty brings violence and wealth brings peace. What is a surprise is that no one seems to be learning from this lesson. What caused the Celtic Tiger? This is debated but probably was a result low corporate tax rate and financial investment from the EU. The combination of these two factors increased the number of jobs and the income levels of the Irish population. What I would like to see is a similar program put into place to increase the economic environment of instable countries of the mid-East. This should start with the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a territory with population of approximately 4 million, very similar to the population of Ireland . Programs that I would like to see would include: * Give businesses incentive to create jobs in Palestine.* Turn Palestine into a tax free industry zone. Offer Products produced in Palestine tax free import into Europe and the USA. * Offer US and European businesses that start companies and create jobs tax breaks on their US and European corporate taxes. Train Palestinians* Create grants to advance education in Palestine * Encourage US and European universities to offer low cost or free positions to qualified Palestinian students. * Encourage US and European universities to build academic centers in the area. Build the infrastructure* Make Palestine an IT hub. Improve internet, satellite and telecommunication infrastructure.* Build a center of excellence for regional IT experts to come to Palestine and create a Palestinian Silicone Valley".
By creating an economic hub in Palestine and improving the business and economic opportunities, the west could turn Palestine from a training ground for Hamas to a traning ground for Microsoft, Google and other IT giants. Let's turn Palestine into an Arabic Tiger.
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