Palestinians hope for high-tech recovery

PALESTINIANS are hoping to boost their fledgling economy by building a high tech industry.

It seems that inbetween regular raids by Israel, software engineers have looked around at what they have got and think they can build a thriving IT industry.

According to AP, Palestine has about 24 software houses and a few thousand engineers who have proved good at making cash through years of Israeli-Palestinian fighting.

In fact, IT was one of the few businesses that have survived the Israelis shutting down the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian universities are turning out 4,000 graduates in computer sciences and engineering and they cannot find jobs. Generally they are forced to immigrate, but some have worked out that they can still do well if they stay put. OK, the salaries are a fraction of what an Israeli would earn just a few miles away, but that means that projects can be pushed to customers at a fraction of the cost.

Ironically one of the few potential customers are not benefiting from this labour pool is Israel. Its IT economy is refusing to outsource over the border because of years of conflict between Palestinians and Israelis. Mind you, the Palestinians are not keen to work for them either. µ

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