In the days leading up to Israels pullout from the Gaza Strip, American Jewish philanthropists donated some 14 million US dollar (84 mio. DKR) to ensure Israeli greenhouses would pass into Palestinian hands unharmed, one of the donors said, according to the World Bank press review.
While the Israeli government has paid for the land and buildings settlers are leaving behind, the American donation is meant to purchase the equipment that keeps the greenhouses running. The move could preserve some 3.500 Palestinian jobs, as well as one of the regions main sources of export income.
The donors included billionaire Mortimer Zuckerman, who publishes the New York Daily News, and Lester Crown, whose family owns General Dynamics. Zuckerman said he urged others to donate after he was contacted by James Wolfensohn, a special Mideast envoy and former president of the World Bank, who contributed 500.000 dollar.
Kilde: www. worldbank.org
