Study: Israelis, Palestinians would gain billions from peace

13:39 08/06/2015
Jerusalem - A new study says that Israelis and Palestinians would gain billions of dollars from peace.
The RAND Corp. study published on Monday indicates over the next decade Israelis would gain $120bn from a peace deal. The Palestinians would gain $50bn, marking a 36-percent rise in their average per-capita income.
In contrast, a return to violence would see the Israeli economy lose some $250bn in foregone economic opportunities, while the Palestinians could see their per-capita gross domestic product fall by as much as 46%.

The findings are in line with long-time arguments that peace is in the economic interest of both sides.
C Ross Anthony, director of RAND's Israeli-Palestinian Initiative, says he hopes the research will offer "alternatives to the current destructive cycle of action, reaction and inaction."

- AP