The West Bank town of Jericho was linked to the electricity grid of neighboring Jordan on Monday, part of what Palestinians hope will be a reduction of ties with Israel. Israel has provided electricity to the West Bank and Gaza since capturing the territories in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians' dependence on Israeli electricity was highlighted in recent weeks, as Israel cut back fuel for Gaza's power plant, causing rolling blackouts as part of pressure on Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Riad Malki said the Palestinians have joined seven countries setting up an interconnected grid - Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey. "This will enable us to be independent from Israel in providing electricity, and will make it much cheaper," he said.
The Jordan-Jericho hookup cost $10 million (€6.75 million), funded by the Norwegian government and the Islamic Bank for Development.
I am sure Israeli taxpayers thank you from the bottom of their wallets - although it must sure suck to be a Norwegian taxpayer.
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