Israeli Minister of Transport and Intelligence Yisrael Katz has presented a “Regional Peace railway” plan, which would link Jordan and the Palestinian Authority to Haifa port. The plan includes two components: extending the Valley Railway line eastwards from Bet Shean to the Jordanian border, and linking the Palestinian Authority to the line with a branch running southwards to Jenin in the West Bank.
“At the heart of the initiative, two main elements are proposed: Israel as a land bridge from Europe and the Mediterranean to Jordan and the countries to the east; and Jordan as a continental railway transport conduit,” through which goods could travel to Iraq and the Persian Gulf, he said.
“The initiative will create an alternative trade route between east and west, short, fast and cheap as well as safer, especially because of the Iranian threat on the maritime routes in the Persian Gulf and due to the pirates operating in the region. Above and beyond its contribution to the Israeli economy, and the economies of Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, the initiative would link Israel to the region economically and politically and form a pragmatic camp in the region,” he added.
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