Palestinian solar power: why Israel may turn out the lights

Palestinian solar power: why Israel may turn out the lights As peace negotiations remain stalled, a project to bring rural electrification to Palestinian communities in the West Bank faces demolition by Israel. "The kids watch it at night and learn from it," she says happily. It is "exceptionally difficult to impossible" for Palestinians to get building permits in Area C, says Ramesh Rajasingham, the senior UN humanitarian official for the West Bank. Impoverished and accessible only by four wheel drive vehicles, She'b El Buttum, population 150, has become a major flashpoint in the struggle over Area C. And her family has begun watching television for the first time. For decades, Israel has refused to hook the herders of She'b el-Buttum up to its electric grid because it says the village of 150 was built and grew illegally. Using a washing machine instead of doing laundry by hand also saves her time. The German government has voiced "concern" over the orders and says it is "in close contact with the Israeli government in order to find a solution. Palestinian solar power: why Israel may turn out the lights Trade News selected by Local Linkup on 14/03/2012