NOW on PBS - Once one of the most dangerous and violent cities in the West Bank, Jenin was the scene of frequent battles between the Israeli military and Palestinian fighters, and was the hometown of more than two dozen suicide bombers. Today,  however, there's been a huge turnaround. Jenin is now the center of an international effort to build a safe and economically prosperous Palestinian state from the ground up. On Jenin's streets today, there's a brand new professional security force loyal to the Palestinian authority and funded in part by the United States. But can the modest success in Jenin be replicated throughout the West Bank, or will the effort collapse under the intense political pressure from all sides?

On Friday, July 10 at 8:30 pm (check local PBS listings), NOW talks directly with  former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, the international community's envoy to the  region and an architect of the plan. We also speak with a former commander of the infamous Al-Aqsa Martyr's Brigade about his decision to stop using violent tactics, and to residents of Jenin about their daily struggles and their hopes for the future.
 
To Blair, the Jenin experiment can be pivotal in finally bringing peace to the Middle East. He tells NOW, "This is the single most important issue for creating a more stable and secure world."

The Mayor of Gilboa, Danny Attar and his Deputy, Ead Saleem share a close relationship with the Governor of Jenin, Qaddoura M. Qaddoura. Once considered a "hotbed" for terrorism, Jenin and the Gilboa are working together, in a collaborative effort to bring about economic and social development between their two communities. 
 
This summer, the Federation, Jewish Communities of Western CT will host the mayors of Gilboa and the Governor of Jenin for a visit and briefings. This exceptional event is aimed at supporting Israel’s promotion of joint Israeli-Palestinian economic development as a way to foster positive and peaceful relations with her neighbors. The NOW program can be viewed online at Now starting July 10, 2009.
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Disclaimer:
Although The Federation played no role in the filming or editing of the PBS show airing tonight and are not responsible for the views expressed, in a small way we did contribute to shaping the story. We introduced the NOW producer, Mona Iskander to the Mayor's in Gilboa and the Governor of Jenin and we presented plans our local Federation has for social development between the two communities. We introduced how we (the North American Jewish community) might play a role in helping support and foster their success as their efforts are the epicenter for plans to set the stage for a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
 
In November 2009, Past Presidents Eric Albert and Dan Goodman and Executive Director Rob Zwang enjoyed the opportunity for a lengthy meeting with Mayor Daniel Attar, Deputy Mayor Ead Saleem and Governor Qaddoura M. Qaddoura.
 
This past November meeting set the stage for their upcoming visit to our community.