US to Unveil Elements of Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan at June 25-26 Bahrain ‘Workshop’

The United States will reveal the economic aspects of its much-hyped and long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace at a “workshop” in Bahrain to be held June 25-26. During the gathering, titled “Peace to Prosperity,” President Donald Trump’s negotiating team is expected to put tens of billions of dollars on the table earmarked for economic development projects in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as financial aid to Middle Eastern countries. “This workshop is a pivotal opportunity to convene government, civil society and business leaders to share ideas, discuss strategies and galvanize support for potential economic investments and initiatives that could be made possible by a peace agreement,” a White House statement read in part. It added that the event will “facilitate discussions on an ambitious, achievable vision and framework for a prosperous future for the Palestinian people and the region.” While the Trump Administration has already sent out invitations – reportedly to the finance ministers of numerous nations, including some in Europe – it has made no mention of whether Israeli and Palestinian officials would attend. In this respect, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly vowed to torpedo any US-led peace process, whereas Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu could be averse to sending representatives given the probable right-wing make-up of the next government. The White House’s step-by-step approach deviates from past peace efforts, which immediately focused on solving the conflict’s “core” political issues, most notably the delineation of borders, the Palestinian refugee problem and the status of Jerusalem. Some analysts believe that Trump is offering up carrots before unleashing the stick, meaning the more contentious elements of the proposal that, according to the administration, will require tough concessions by all sides.