BICOM

US special advisor Jared Kushner met European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker and EU Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini for talks in Brussels yesterday.

Kushner arrived in Brussels from after visiting the UK, Morocco, Jordan and Israel to try and build support for his long-awaited plan for Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.

EU Commission spokesman Margaritis Schinas said Juncker and Mogherini: “Listened to Kushner’s ideas and underlined the fundamental interest of the European Union for  lasting and sustainable peace and stability in the region. The economic development of the whole region is crucial. It must be accompanied by viable political progress that takes into account the aspirations of both the Palestinians and the Israelis.”

The US administration recently announced it will hold an “economic workshop” in Bahrain on 25-26 June in order to convene government, civil society, and business leaders to share ideas, discuss strategies, and galvanise support for potential economic investments and initiatives for the region if an Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement were to be reached.

Kushner has emphasised that his plan includes both political and economic proposals and that it would address final status issues between Israelis and Palestinians. It is not yet clear when the political part of the plan will be unveiled.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have said they will attend the workshop, whilst Jordan and Egypt are yet to decide. The Palestinian Authority, along with Russia and China, will not be attending

Last weekend Kushner said in an interview that the Palestinians deserve “self-determination,” but stopped short of proposing Palestinian statehood and expressed uncertainty over their ability to govern themselves. He said: “The hope is that they, over time, will become capable of governing.” He added that in order for the West Bank to become investible, the Palestinians: “Need to have a fair judicial system … freedom of press, freedom of expression, tolerance for all religions”.

In a leaked recording of a private briefing US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo expressed doubt that the plan would lead to an immediate breakthrough, admitting it might be rejected, and saying: “I get why people think this is going to be a deal that only the Israelis could love.”