The Trump administration unveiled a $50 billion economic plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace on Tuesday, arguing that the Palestinians must have a future fueled by investment to put an end to the long-running conflict.
The Trump administration unveiled a $50 billion economic plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace on Tuesday, arguing that the Palestinians must have a future fueled by investment to put an end to the long-running conflict. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and top advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, declared the need for a just political settlement to the war as he opened a two-day international conference in the Gulf nation of Bahrain. He did, however, add that if efforts were made to advance the Palestinian economy, the outcome might be “a real peace that leads to prosperity.”
We believe there is great potential,” he said. “We can transform this region from a victim of past conflicts, into a model for business and advancement around the world,” the team behind the plan said. “What we have built is the most comprehensive economic plan ever created exclusively for the Palestinians, and the greater Middle East.” The nearly two-year-old plan has drawn the ire of the Palestinian leadership, which it has previously expressed. Saudi Arabia has also expressed some reluctance despite being one of its primary financiers.
The gathering has been promoted as the start of a larger political plan by Washington to end the Israeli-Palestinian issue. The project’s political specifics, however, are still a secret. The curtain-raising ceremony in Manama is not being attended by the Israeli or Palestinian governments, and neither are Lebanon or Iraq. Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, which has limited autonomy in the West Bank that is occupied by Israel, was critical of the initiative’s chances of success.
“Money is crucial. Economic stability is crucial. However, politics are more significant. The political answer is more crucial.” Asserting that more time was needed to handle the politics of the issue, Kushner seemed to embrace such viewpoints.
To be clear, a lasting and equitable political solution to the conflict—one that ensures Israel’s security and respects the dignity of the Palestinian people—is necessary for the Palestinian people to experience economic progress and prosperity. However, the political issues of today are not the focus. We’ll address those when it’s appropriate.
The plan calls for donors and investors to provide $50 billion to the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Egypt, and Lebanon. Washington will be hoping that delegates in Manama, including wealthy Gulf states, will demonstrate a genuine interest in the initiative. Close U.S. ally Saudi Arabia, which identifies Iran as a shared enemy with Israel, expressed support for “international measures aimed at promoting prosperity, investment, and economic growth in the region” on Tuesday. However, Riyadh emphasized that any peace agreement should be based on the Arab peace initiative led by Saudi Arabia, which has served as the Arab community’s consensus on the requirements for a deal since 2002.
That plan calls for a Palestinian state with borders that were established before Israel annexed territory in the Middle East conflict of 1967, as well as a capital in East Jerusalem and the right of refugees to return—points that Israel rejects. Kushner is “dedicated to the initiatives of Israel’s colonial settlement councils,” according to chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. Israel was open to the proposal, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a strong Trump friend. On Sunday, he stated, “We’ll hear the American proposition, hear it fairly and with transparency.
When he arrived at the event in Manama and embraced two American rabbis, millionaire Mohamed Alabbar, one of Dubai’s most well-known businessmen, stated, “If there is a one percent chance we accomplish something good here, we should gather together and try.” The likelihood of success is slim. The only Arab nations that have made peace with Israel are Jordan and Egypt, and they dispatched their deputy finance ministers. Kushner’s “Peace to Prosperity” initiative has stirred up political controversy in Jordan, which is home to millions of people who are descendants of Palestinian refugees.
When he arrived at the event in Manama and embraced two American rabbis, millionaire Mohamed Alabbar, one of Dubai’s most well-known businessmen, stated, “If there is a one percent chance we accomplish something good here, we should gather together and try.” The likelihood of success is slim. The only Arab nations that have made peace with Israel are Jordan and Egypt, and they dispatched their deputy finance ministers. Kushner’s “Peace to Prosperity” initiative has stirred up political controversy in Jordan, which is home to millions of people who are descendants of Palestinian refugees.
The status of Jerusalem, mutually acceptable borders, addressing Israel’s security concerns and the Palestinians’ demands for statehood, as well as the future of Israel’s settlements and military presence in areas where the Palestinians want to establish their state, would all need to be resolved as part of any such solution. Businesses in Gaza shut their doors as part of a general strike that was announced by the governing Islamist Hamas party and other factions.
There can be no economic solution as a substitute for our liberation, said Palestinian MP Mustafa Barghouti in the West Bank, near Ramallah, where Israeli troops used tear gas to disperse a small throng of protestors. Palestinian leaders claim that the White House is biased in favor of Israel, therefore they have boycotted the conference and are refusing to communicate with it. Trump defied the international convention in 2017 by recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, angering the Palestinians and other Arabs in the process.
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