News Exercise #72

Questions
1) What is Rawabi?
It is the first new Palestinian city in the West Bank, and the biggest building project in Palestinian history.
2) What is the reason for this location being difficult?
It is on Israeli-occupied land.
3) From 1:15 the reporter wonders why they are building this so close to the Israelis. What does the investor say in reply?
We know, we know. We are not promising people here heaven. We’re not promising people here anything less than that we are still under occupation. This is not normalizing and accepting the occupation and looking the other way. This is defying the occupation.
4) What is the problem they have with a water supply? (2:00)
It has to be signed off by the joint Israeli-Palestinian water committee but it hasn’t met for years. The Palestinians are worried that in order to get water for this project they will have to agree to water for the Israeli settlements on their land.

I thought it was funny that the reporter said to the Israeli official that they keep saying “two weeks” to make an agreement. He then described “…in the coming few days, or few weeks…” – meaning “two weeks” again”

5) At 3:36-3:42 Tony Blair states his feelings about this sort of project. What does he think?
“This stuff on the ground matters as much as the politics.”