Photo of Rawabi, the first planned city in the West Bank. Image by vimeo

By Naomi Zeveloff May 9, 2017

Former Israel ambassador Dan Shapiro is urging President Trump to make a stop at Rawabi, the new gleaming middle class Palestinian city outside Ramallah, when he visits the Holy Land later this month.

Idea: Aides say on his trip, Trump wants to highlight “efforts to unlock the potential of the Palestinian economy.” He should visit Rawabi. https://t.co/8yLeDMdi2i

— Dan Shapiro (@DanielBShapiro) May 5, 2017

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Rawabi, a favorite stop for international proponents of the two-state solution, is often held up as an example of Palestinian entrepreneurship amid the confines of the Israeli occupation. But Palestinian critics of the project say founder Bashar Masri’s involvement with Israelis on the project — he asked the help of famed Israeli architect Moshe Safdi — amounts to “normalization” and does nothing to advance Palestinian independence.

Trump would “connect” well with Masri, a real estate magnate and one of the wealthiest Palestinian men in the West Bank, predicted Shapiro.

Rawabi was delayed for months as Israel withheld permission for water access to the development, but now that the water has been connected Palestinian families are moving in.

Elliott Abrams, President George Bush’s advisor on Middle East affairs, endorsed the idea of Trump visiting Rawabi in an interview with Haaretz, but said he doubted the president will have time.

Contact Naomi Zeveloff at [email protected] or on Twitter @naomizeveloff

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount