Road closures help economy in Palestinian village, residents say

Published: 2003-12-03

BIR ZEIT, West Bank (CNS) -- The intifada and Israeli-imposed closures have been a double-edged sword for this sleepy Ramallah-area village with a large Christian population. The frequent road closures cut off many residents from the city of Ramallah, forcing the village's 3,000 residents to develop a self-sustaining economy that doesn't rely on the city for jobs and services. One example is the horse-drawn carriages that ferry Palestinians across the one-mile-long no man's land between the Israeli roadblock and the Palestinian side. Another example is the Internet cafes that have sprung up on nearly every street corner, serving the 2,000 students who attend nearby Bir Zeit University. "There is an Internet cafe everywhere you look," said Nadine Khoury, 23, a Catholic youth leader at the Ramallah YWCA. "We are trying to be independent (of Ramallah) and new shops and cafes have opened."

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .