Top White House adviser Jared Kushner traveled to Bahrain Tuesday and offered Palestine and other Arab nations a remarkable $50 billion “opportunity of the century” and promised that despite rocky Middle East negotiations President Trump has not given up on a final peace deal.
In bringing together world business leaders with key Middle East officials and business people, Kushner laid out a plan to boost jobs, the economy, and infrastructure for the region, especially on the West Bank and Gaza.
“For a moment, imagine a new reality in the Middle East,” he said at the Peace to Prosperity Workshop.
“Imagine a bustling commercial and tourist center, in Gaza and the West Bank, where international businesses come together and thrive. Imagine the West Bank as a blossoming economy, full of entrepreneurs, engineers, scientists, and business leaders. Imagine people and goods flowing quickly and securely through the region as economies become more integrated and people more prosperous,” he added.
Morning in Manama #Bahrain where the @jaredkushner led ‘Peace for Prosperity’ workshop is set to get underway; kushner will open with remarks on private sector, setting the tone for the @WhiteHouse ‘s business-minded approach to the conflict @i24NEWS_EN pic.twitter.com/RyM9fqorlT
— Nurit Ben (@NuritBen) June 25, 2019
Kushner, who is developing the administration’s Middle East peace plan, has just released the economic half of the blueprint and promised a political roadmap soon.
He opened the conference with a speech to the leaders at the event, then spelled out his plan in an off-the-cuff format that also urged greater investment in the area and a reduction of corruption.
“There is a ton of potential,” he said. “We see tremendous potential.”
Kushner faced skepticism at the conference, but was still able to get the heads of several international economic forums, including the heads of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, to attend.
Kushner noted that over time Palestine has gone from a model of prosperity to the world’s biggest receiver of aid.
“Instead of building on a history of innovation and entrepreneurship, the Palestinians became the highest per-capita donor-aid recipients in the world, with no plan or end in sight. I might be in the minority, but I believe that this can change.”
He cited his father-in-law’s government and agenda as a model.
“President Trump ran on a very straightforward platform — to keep people safe, and to create the opportunity for prosperity, in America and throughout the world,” he said.
“The last two years have taken a lot of hard work, but by implementing his policies, President Trump has created the best economy America has seen in a very long time. Perhaps even the best we have ever had,” he added.
The same can happen in the Middle East, and specifically Gaza and the West Bank, he said.
“Prosperity is not something that is given to people. Prosperity is earned with smart planning, determination and fortitude. The Palestinian people have these qualities — intelligence, strength, perseverance, courage — in great supply. Let’s harness these strengths and create the opportunity to succeed,” said Kushner.
“My direct message to the Palestinian people, is that despite what those, who have let you down in the past say, President Trump and America have not given up on you,” he said.
