Citing skittishness by participants, USAID program administrator declines to name trade associations contracted to distribute grant money from Partnership for Peace Fund

Partnership for Peace Fund Advisory Board will be chaired by Palestinian-American lawyer George Salem along with other prominent figures in field from both sides of the aisle

Saying violence in Lod and elsewhere showed challenges of building shared society, organizers redouble efforts for sustainable long-term fund

The Middle East Partnership for Peace Act, passed by US Congress in December, provides seed funding over five years to boost reconciliation initiatives