US to roll out economic part of Middle East plan

The United States will host a conference in Manama, Bahrain, next month focused on the economic aspects of the Middle East peace plan promised by US President Donald Trump, which aims to achieve Palestinian prosperity, Agence France-Presse reported.

The workshop co-organized with Manama, running on June 25-26, will bring together government, civil society and business leaders.

“This workshop is a pivotal opportunity … to share ideas, discuss strategies and galvanize support for potential economic investments and initiatives that could be made possible by a peace agreement,” the two countries said in a joint statement on Sunday.

The White House announced it will unveil the first phase of the long-waited plan at the conference, saying it will focus on economic benefits that could be reaped if the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved.

The plan is also expected to feature proposals for regional economic development that would include Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon but the Palestinians have been adamant that it will fail.

Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner is the chief architect of the proposals.

Kushner said the Manama meeting would be an “opportunity to present our ideas for creating greater economic vibrancy in the region”. “The Palestinian people, along with all people in the Middle East, deserve a future with dignity and the opportunity to better their lives,” he said.

“Economic progress can only be achieved with a solid economic vision and if the core political issues are resolved. We look forward to presenting our vision on ways to bridge the core political issues very soon.”

Kushner has promised new ideas for the plan, indicating that it will pull back from long-standing requirements for a two-state solution with the Palestinians and acceptance of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

A senior administration official in Washington told The Associated Press on Sunday that invitations to the conference are being sent to individuals in the US, Europe, the Gulf, the wider Arab world and “some” Palestinian business leaders. The official spoke on condition of anonymity pending a formal announcement.

However, the Palestinian leadership said on Monday it was not consulted over the upcoming economic conference and no party was entitled to negotiate on its behalf.

“We were not consulted by any party on the announced meeting to take place in Manama, Bahrain,” Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a statement.

“We have not mandated any party to negotiate on our behalf.”