Us-led meeting on Israeli-palestinian conflict: who’s attending?

The United States is set to co-chair a two-day conference in Bahrain from Tuesday focusing on the economic aspects of President Donald Trump’s Israeli-palestinian peace plan.

The declared aim is achieving Palestinian prosperity -- but Palestinians are boycotting the event, which they see as an attempt to buy them off.

The workshop in Manama will bring together government, business and civil society leaders, according to a joint statement by the two organising countries.

It could see large-scale investment pledges for the Palestinian territories, but is unlikely to focus heavily on the political issues at the core of the Israeli-palestinian conflict.

The Palestinians confirmed in May they would not participate in the conference, adding they were not consulted before it was announced.

“Palestine will not attend the Manama meeting,” a statement on the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s (PLO) website said.

“This is a collective Palestinian position, from President Mahmud Abbas and the PLO Executive Committee to all Palestinian political movements and factions, national figures, private sector and civil society.” Abbas reiterated his position on Saturday as the US unveiled details of the plan. The Palestinian leader said a political solution must come before any discussion of economic issues.

The Palestinians have boycotted the US administration since Trump broke with decades of consensus and recognised Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in December 2017.

Palestinians consider the eastern part of the city the capital of their future state and have opposed the proposed US peace plan, which they fear will be heavily biased in favour of Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israelis will attend, but it was unclear whether they would include government officials or business leaders.

Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates last month welcomed the economic conference.

Riyadh said it would send Economy and Planning Minister Mohammed al-tuwaijri, saying Saudi participation reaffirms the kingdom’s “firm position to support the Palestinian people to achieve their stability and growth”, according to the official Saudi Press Agency.

Abu Dhabi’s foreign ministry also said it would send a delegation, but reiterated that it supports the establishment of a Palestinian state with east Jerusalem as its capital.

DUBAI AFP June25, 2019