Palestinians reject Kushner 'economy first' approach to Mideast peace

GAZA CITY: Palestinian officials on Saturday dismissed proposals unveiled by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner for big money projects to form the first economic portion of the Trump administration’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan.

Senior Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) official Hanan Ashrawi said Kushner’s plans were “all abstract promises” and said only a political solution would solve the conflict.

Hamas, the group that controls Gaza, was more blunt, saying: “Palestine isn’t for sale”.

An Israeli cabinet minister welcomed the plan.

The Trump administration’s $50 billion Middle East economic plan calls for creation of a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighboring Arab state economies, according to US officials and documents reviewed by Reuters.

One proposal is for the construction of a $5 billion transportation corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza.

The “peace to prosperity” plan is set to be presented at an international conference in Bahrain next week by Kushner, who told Reuters that Palestinian leaders should consider the initiative.

“This is going to be the ‘Opportunity of the Century’ if they have the courage to pursue it,” he said.

However Ashrawi, a veteran Palestinian negotiator and member of the executive committee of the PLO, said only a political solution that ended Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian Territories would solve the conflict.

Speaking to Reuters by phone from the West Bank city of Ramallah, she said: “If they really care about the Palestinian economy they should start by lifting the siege of Gaza, stopping Israel stealing our money and our resources and our land and opening up our territorial waters, our air space and our borders so we can freely export and import.”

She said the Trump administration’s stance was an “entirely wrong approach”, adding: “They can end the occupation, which is the most basic requirement for prosperity. There can be no prosperity under occupation.”

Israeli Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz said the plan looked promising.

“What’s been published until now looks good and even very good. We are always in favor of developing the Palestinian economy, ending the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, ensuring economic prosperity in the Palestinian communities,” he told Israeli Reshet TV.

“The entire world wants to help the Palestinians except for the Palestinians themselves.”