Congress: 115 · Status: active · Israel/Palestine classification: neutral
Data (JSON) — machine-readable record of this bill (identifiers, sponsor, classification, actions, and the member-by-member vote breakdown).
Official record on Congress.gov — full text, actions, and cosponsor history for HR 7060.
Sponsor: Fortenberry, Jeff (R-NE)
Palestinian Partnership Fund Act of 2018 This bill directs the Department of State to establish the Palestinian Partnership Fund to facilitate and finance: joint ventures in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza, including between Palestinian entrepreneurs and companies in the United States, Israel, countries in the Middle East, and globally to improve economic cooperation in research and development and in the technology industry; and people-to-people exchanges to further shared community building and reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
This bill directs the State Department to create a Palestinian Partnership Fund that finances joint business ventures and research projects involving Palestinian entrepreneurs, U.S. companies, Israeli firms, and Middle Eastern investors across Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. It also funds people-to-people exchange programs designed to build relationships and promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians.
The bill represents a congressional approach to Israeli-Palestinian dynamics centered on economic development and grassroots dialogue rather than political or security measures. Supporters view this as fostering coexistence; critics may question whether development initiatives can proceed without addressing underlying political status of settlements and territory.