BICOM

White House senior adviser Jared Kushner appeared to reject the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative in an interview ahead of the ‘Peace to Prosperity’ conference that began in Manama last night.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, Kushner said it would not be possible to solve the conflict with a deal “along the lines of the Arab Peace Initiative”. He added: “I think we all have to recognise that if there ever is a deal, it’s not going to be along the lines of the Arab Peace Initiative. It will be somewhere between the Arab Peace Initiative and between the Israeli position”.

Speaking at the opening session of the conference last night, Kushner said his plan was “the opportunity of the century” for the Palestinians. He added: “For too long the Palestinian people have been trapped in a framework for the past. This is a framework for a brighter future. It is a vision of what is possible with peace. Imagine a bustling tourist centre in Gaza and the West Bank. Imagine people and goods flowing securely throughout the region as people become more prosperous. This is not a stretch, it is the historic legacy of the Middle East. Peace can only be achieved if it comes for a pathway for people to improve their lives. Pursuing opportunity instead of blaming others for their current misfortune. Palestinians have intelligence, perseverance, strength in great supply … my direct message: despite what those who let you down in the past tell you, the president and Americans have not given up on you.”

Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed al Khalifa and Qatar’s finance minister, Ali Sharif al Emadi, are attending the conference together with business leaders from the US, Europe and the Arab world. Israeli media reported that at least ten Palestinians are attending the event, including Ashraf Jabari from Hebron, the only Palestinian scheduled to speak at the workshop. He sat at the opening session with former IDF Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major-General Yoav Mordechai.

A spokesman for Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says the Bahrain workshop was “stillborn,” adding that there could be “no peace without the Arab Peace Initiative and the Security Council resolutions”.

The political component of the Trump administration’s plan is not expected to be presented before November, despite Kushner saying in his speech that: “Economic growth and prosperity for the Palestinian people are not possible without an enduring and fair political solution to the conflict — one that guarantees Israel’s security and respects the dignity of the Palestinian people.”