Jordan had been systematically discriminating against her West Bank territory, and two-thirds of her investments were channeled to the East Bank of the Jordan River, according to figures published here today by Israel’s Economic Planning Authority.
Before the June war, the West Bank, with half of Jordan’s population had only 22 percent of the country’s industry and 16 percent of her transport, the data showed. Total industrial output of the West Bank was 2 percent of Israel’s production — about as much as the turnover of Israel’s Dead Sea Works alone.
The Authority’s research also pointed out that Israel tourism and purchases in the West Bank area are likely to make up for the district’s economic hardships caused by loss of markets in Arab countries. West Bank exports mainly have been of the agricultural variety, and have been partly absorbed by Israel’s shops and canning industry.
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