The news carried in the media a couple of days ago about the Palestinian Authority’s plans to build the “first modern Palestinian city” is not only heartening and long overdue, but also significant.

The peace process between the Palestinians and the Israelis is at a total halt, due to the present Israeli government’s lack of interest in peace and its procrastination and subversive tactics. The only beneficiary of this stalemate is the Israeli government, which is losing no time in boosting its occupation and expansion policies, in the absence of real peace momentum.

In other words, the Israeli government takes the opportunity of the stalemate to confiscate more Palestinian lands, demolish more Palestinian houses, make movement for Palestinians in and among Palestinian towns more difficult, pressure Palestinians into leaving Palestine and, equally significantly, allow Israeli settlers to further expand their settlements and build new ones.

Of course, the real problem in Palestine is the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. The only way to end this occupation, and to restore to the Palestinians their rights, is through serious, sustained negotiations.

However, the Israeli occupation of Palestine should not be seen as the one and only problem. Settlements, which spring from the occupation, naturally, are another big problem. They are, actually, the more immediate problem to deal with.

In the absence of real peace negotiations and while Israel continues to expand and build settlements, what should the Palestinians (and those who support them in the Arab world and elsewhere) do about settlements?

The solution, I believe, does not lie in condemning settlements, as the Palestinians and others always do. Israel defies and disrespects humanitarian calls, human rights and (even) legal resolutions. Rather, the solution lies, in part, to be sure, in addressing Palestinian housing and living needs effectively.

Which brings me to the point about the “first modern Palestinian city”. It is projects like this that not only make life easier for the Palestinians but also enable them to stay in Palestine, thus countering Israeli occupation and settlement activities.

Most Palestinian cities and towns are overcrowded (many are slums in fact). The Palestinians need better housing, better roads, better schools, better hospitals, better universities, better farms, more gardens and parks, and better and more infrastructure.

The PA is expected to make these a priority. In the absence of real peace making, in fact even when peacemaking starts to happen, the PA needs to devote a great deal of attention to the daily lives and needs (including housing needs) of the Palestinian people.

This is where the real battle should be carried out, and this is where the Palestinians need and expect support from sympathisers in the Arab world and the international community.

Sympathy with Palestinians is important, words of comfort and solidarity are important, but tangible, concrete projects, like the city just spoken of, are what is needed now.

We should do all we can to enable Palestinians to stay in Palestine, especially since Israel is doing all it can to drive them out of their homeland.