▁Some ▁exper ts ▁question ed ▁this ▁project . ▁Heb rew ▁University ▁of ▁Jerusalem ▁Prof . ▁Av ner ▁Ad in ▁said ▁more ▁studies ▁were ▁needed ▁on ▁the ▁potential ▁environmental ▁impact . ▁However , ▁various ▁groups ▁and ▁government ▁officials ▁from ▁several ▁countries ▁say ▁that ▁the ▁pipeline ▁is ▁needed ▁to ▁save ▁the ▁Dead ▁Sea , ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁in ▁danger ▁of ▁dry ing ▁up ▁due ▁to ▁some ▁environmental ▁factors . ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Sh imon ▁Per es ▁took ▁an ▁active ▁and ▁personal ▁role ▁in ▁efforts ▁to ▁promote ▁local ▁business ▁initi atives . ▁Per es ▁personally ▁led ▁a ▁tour ▁of ▁top ▁Isra eli ▁execut ives ▁through ▁the ▁West ▁Bank , ▁and ▁told ▁them ▁about ▁many ▁new ▁Palest in ian ▁business es ▁which ▁show ▁much ▁growth ▁potential . ▁One ▁company ▁highlight ed ▁by ▁Per es ▁was ▁the ▁New ▁Generation ▁Technology ▁inc ub ator , ▁a ▁joint ▁Jewish - A rab ▁effort ▁founded ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁which ▁encourag es ▁new ▁ideas ▁and ▁projects ▁in ▁technology ▁and ▁bi ote chn ology . ▁ ▁Status ▁of ▁diplom atic ▁efforts ▁ 2 0 1 3 – 2 0 1 5 ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁a ▁new ▁agreement ▁was ▁signed ▁for ▁a ▁new ▁industrial ▁zone ▁in ▁Jer ich o . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁substantial ▁progress ▁was ▁made ▁in ▁building ▁Raw abi , ▁a ▁new ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁Bank . ▁Many ▁saw ▁this ▁construction ▁as ▁an ▁example ▁of ▁co operation ▁between ▁Israel ▁and ▁Palest ini ans