Kudos to President Obama for noting the need for technology and jobs for young people in the Middle East region (see comment with Netanyahu below) and for mentioning Cisco’s program for hiring Palestinian engineers (see comment with Abbas below). You can read more here about the Palestinian Investment Commitment that Cisco has made.
From the President’s remarks with PM Netanyahu:
But the truth of the matter is trying to bring this to some sort of clear settlement, a solution that would allow Israelis to feel as if they’ve broken out of the current isolation that they’re in, in this region, that would allow the incredible economic growth that’s taking place inside this country to be a model for trade and commerce and development throughout the region at a time when all these other countries need technology and commerce and jobs for their young people, for Palestinians to feel a sense that they, too, are masters of their own fate, for Israel to feel that the possibilities of rockets raining down on their families has diminished — that kind of solution we have not yet seen. http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2013/03/20130320144530.html
And from the President’s remarks with President Abbas:
I was with President Peres this morning before I came here, looking at a high-tech exhibit that was taking place in Jerusalem. And there was actually a program that U.S. — a U.S. company, Cisco, had set up, where it was hiring young Arab engineers and Palestinian engineers because they were so well qualified, so talented and there was a great hunger for those kinds of skills. Well, imagine if you have a strong, independent state that’s peaceful — all the talent that currently is being untapped that could be creating jobs and businesses and prosperity throughout this area.
http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/texttrans/2013/03/20130321144547.html
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