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Jerusalem electricity company crippled by Israel, Palestinian Authority

The Jerusalem District Electricity Company, which supplies energy to 280,000 customers spanning four districts and employing more than 1,000 Palestinians, faces several challenges by the Israeli and Palestinian governments.
Electricians install new power transmission lines at a construction site in the West Bank city of Ramallah September 3, 2012. The cash-strapped government of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, is so behind with its bills that an Israeli electricity supplier has threatened to cut the power unless they pay outstanding debt of almost $80 million. Picture taken September 3, 2012. To match Feature PALESTINIANS/ECONOMY  REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - GM1E8951PIW01
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Hisham Omari has one of the most difficult jobs in Palestine. As director general of the Jerusalem District Electricity Company (JDECO), his job is to supply energy to some 280,000 customers spanning four districts. The company, the largest in Jerusalem, has become a national icon for Palestinians and a source of national pride.

The private/public company, which has been operating under an extended concession, has the exclusive rights to supply electricity to the districts of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Ramallah and Jericho. In an interview with Al-Monitor, Omari explained the complicated legal and administrative nature of his work. “We work with the Palestinian Authority in Areas A and B and with the Israeli civil administration in Area C and with the Israeli government in the annexed areas of Jerusalem.”

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