Home was the West Bank; today it's the U.S. These expats hope to bring change to both

Silwad, home to a community of Palestinian-Americans, is a town where crumbling infrastructure blends with new construction projects developed by expats. (Ayman Oghanna for NPR)

SILWAD, West Bank — The hilltop village of Silwad, roughly nine miles east of Ramallah, is over 300 years old, with winding narrow streets and crumbling, abandoned old storefronts overlooking lush valleys.

It's hemmed in by an Israeli settlement, Ofra, to the south, and an Israeli military facility to the east. To the west of the village, Route 60 further prevents any growth for Silwad.