Palestinian Business and Investment Forum

Building on the success of the Palestine Investment Conference in Bethlehem, the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership (UPP) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and top U.S. business leaders at a Palestinian Business and Investment Forum on October 14, 2008, in Washington D.C. More than 200 business leaders heard panelists discuss how the U.S. private sector is uniquely situated to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the region. Sectors highlighted at the forum included information and communication technology, pharmaceuticals, agribusiness and tourism.


"Through investments in the Palestinian people, you are going to make sure that they see tangible improvements in their daily lives and begin to really believe that there is a path to peace."

- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice

Read Secretary Rice's complete remarks.


Major Announcements at the Forum 

  • $1.5 Million Commitment to the Call Center: TouchStar CEO Steve Bederman announced a commitment of more than $1.5 million in technology and services to the call center development project to help create 600 new job opportunities for Palestinians. The center, located in East Jerusalem, will provide Arabic language call center services for business customers in the Middle East and North Africa.
  • $10 Million in Seed Money from Cisco: Cisco announced it would be giving $10 million toward training of Palestinian business leaders and as seed money for investment in Palestinian businesses.
  • 900 Computers from Intel: In addition to training both professors and students on business development and planning, Intel will donate 900 Classmate PCs to Palestinian schools.
  • $12.5 Million Contribution to Youth Centers: The U.S. Agency for International Development announced a partnership between the public and private sectors to create four high-tech youth centers throughout the West Bank to educate and develop the next generation of Palestinian leaders.
  • Pro Bono Contribution to Youth Centers: The Boys & Girls Clubs of America announced a commitment to provide training to youth center leadership in the West Bank and to form sister-city relationships between the youth centers in the West Bank and Boys & Girls Clubs in the U.S.
  • Bank of Palestine to be a Call Center Client: Representatives from the Bank of Palestine and Capital Gate Services signed a memorandum of understanding, signifying the first client commitment to the center.

View Photos from the Forum

Take Action and Get Involved

There are many ways U.S. corporations and individuals can still take action, make a difference in the lives of the Palestinian people and support this important process:

  • Use the new 500-seat call center for your company's Arabic-language customer and technical support needs.
  • Help expand Peace Players International’s acclaimed BasketPal program in the West Bank.
  • Support youth center operations and programs in Ramallah, Hebron and Nablus.
  • Invest in one of the more than 100 detailed Palestinian business opportunities* prepared by PIC participants.
    *The projects listed are as proposed by the Palestinian Authority at the PIC and have not been vetted or endorsed by the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership.

Video of the conference is available on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website. To watch the video, you will need RealPlayer. If you do not have RealPlayer, you can download it free here.

See Prime Minister Fayyad's Remarks

Read Remarks by Deputy Secretary of Commerce Sullivan

Read America.gov's coverage of the PBIF

View the Forum Agenda

Read our Press Release about the Forum