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Can a breakthrough experiment finally bring peace to the West Bank?
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. 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?
NOW ON PBS talks directly with former British Prime Minister Tony
Blair, the international community's envoy to the region and an
architect of the plan. NOW also speaks 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."