‘Kushner Karavan’ Swings through Region to Obviate Problems Prior to Bahrain “Workshop”

President Donald Trump’s Mideast Deal Team headed by son-in-law Jared Kushner is presently in the middle of a plan-puffing trip aimed at convincing skeptical players to come on board before the June 25th summit convenes. Not invited to participate, the Palestinians have rejected the effort and are actively lobbying nations to do the same. But their success has been more pronounced outside the Arab world where super-powers Russia and China have announced that neither will show. Before the Kushner Caravan landed in Israel on Wednesday, it visited King Abdullah II of Jordan and reportedly came away with the monarch’s agreement to attend – a major endorsement if the American effort is to succeed. The June event, which is being called an “economic workshop” is all about attracting international funding to improve the economic plight of the Palestinians. Kushner and Company have been strictly focused on maintaining secrecy regarding the political side of the proposal, and have been remarkably successful in doing so. But the Palestinians believe the economic-first formula is intended to buy their participation and acquiescence as part of an overall effort sharply skewed in Israel’s favor as witnessed by a series of “gifts” to the Jewish state including recognition of Israeli sovereignty over Jerusalem, relocating the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, annexation of the Golan Heights. Already Saudi Arabia, its rival Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates are in the U.S. column while it remains to be seen how persuasive was Jared’s Junket’s visit to Amman and what Egypt will decide. Meanwhile, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas left no doubt about his prediction for success of the U.S. plan. He was widely quoted this week as saying that the “deal of the century” and the economic plan will each “go to hell.”