By Zakaria al-Madhoun

GAZA, April 12, 2011 (WAFA) - Businessman Mohammed Al-Talibani looks forward for the opening of the commercial crossing between Gaza and Egypt that will end dependency on Israel and revitalize the Gaza economy, which is dying because of the closure and the Israeli blockade.

Economist Omar Shaban sees opening this crossing as a good idea. He believes, however, that its success would require better political conditions, especially ending the division and enactment of laws and regulations to protect commerce.

Reports said that talks took place between officials from Hamas and the Egyptian government about the possibility of opening the commercial crossing in Rafah, south of the Gaza Strip.

Talibani said that the idea is excellent and it is a step in the right direction to break the siege of Gaza and reduce economic dependency on Israel. He added that the business and economic relations with Egypt will be faster and easier due to the geographical location and the strong brotherly relations between the two sides.

The underground tunnels along the Palestinian-Egyptian border are an essential source for bringing in goods and food to Gaza due to the Israeli blockade imposed on Gaza for four consecutive years.

Talibani said that the raw material and goods from the Egyptian side are cheaper than the Israeli side and therefore will benefit the traders and people alike. He pointed out that he pays 1.5% of the cost of his goods at the Israeli port of Ashdod, in addition to transport charges and customs.

Since the start of the siege in 2006, Israeli-controlled border crossings with Gaza were closed for long periods of time. The latest was closing of Muntar commercial crossing east of Gaza while keeping Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing south of Gaza as the only commercial outlet.

A study by the Institute for Development Studies in Gaza showed that 70% of the business establishments in Gaza had to shut down due to the Israeli siege. It said that closing of businesses in the Gaza Strip continues at a high degree because of the continuous Israeli ban on supplying raw material and by preventing export.

There are no accurate official statistics about the volume of trade between Gaza and Israel.

According to Palestinian officials, the idea of economic reliance on Egypt gives Israel the opportunity to get out of its responsibility toward Gaza considering it is the occupying power in accordance with international law.

Secretary of the PLO Executive Committee, Yasser Abed Rabbo, said that “the Egyptians have responded positively to calls for the alleviation of the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza which will be more felt in the coming period on the Palestinians in Gaza. But this does not mean Egypt will bear the burden and responsibility for Gaza while the Israeli occupation absolves itself of any responsibility while it imposes the blockade on the Gaza Strip.”

Economist Omar Shaban said that an end to division should be a precondition to opening the commercial crossing.

“Opening the commercial crossing will only increase the rift and further separate the Gaza Strip from the rest of the Palestinian Territory,” he said.

“Opening the commercial crossing at Rafah must be done after there is reconciliation and should be based on laws in order to protect the financial trade between the two parties,” he added.

He stressed the importance of Palestinian–Egyptian trade especially the benefit that would come from the Egyptian expertise and resources, particularly from Egyptian electricity and maritime transport.

He said Egypt can also contribute toward rebuilding the Gaza Strip after the Israeli occupation forces had destroyed thousands of houses and public and private institutions in the 2008 military assault.

Shaban stressed the importance of a unified Palestinian political system, not a Gaza-Egyptian relation, rather a Palestinian-Egyptian relation because the West Bank market needs a lot of Egyptian products.

He called for developing the 2005 Access and Movement Agreement regarding the Rafah border crossing with Egypt to include all the Palestinian territories.

W.S./M.A.