Arab Leaders Asked U.S. Not to Reveal Mideast Peace Plan, Palestinians Say

posted on: Jun 30, 2018

SOURCE: HAARETZ

BY: JACK KHOURY

Arab nations have asked the White House to refrain from revealing its Mideast peace plan spearheaded by U.S. President Donald Trump‘s senior adviser Jared Kushner and Mideast envoy Jason Greenblatt, senior Palestinian officials told Haaretz.

One senior official said that representatives of Arab countries warned members of the U.S. delegation to the Mideast of the ramifications of detailing the plan. The Arab officials cited the fact that their countries are dealing with internal challenges in a landscape marked by Syria’s civil war and Iranian interference.

Thus, the Arab officials told the Palestinian leadership, any plan which does not meet Palestinian expectations could just increase tensions in the Mideast.

“Egypt isn’t short on internal issues, along with fighting terror in Sinai; Jordan is dealing with many difficulties on the home frontand repercussions from the Syrian war don’t simplify things and the Saudis with the challenges in Yemen and the struggle against Iran,” a Palestinian official told Haaretz. “If the (Trump) administration present a plan without Jerusalem and without the refugees it will be an earthquake whose repercussion will undermine stability in the entire region and not one is ready for that.”

According to the Palestinian official, this explains the focus by the involved parties on the Gaza Strip, said the official, and the attempt to promote projects aimed at improving humanitarian conditions, which would prevent a collapse without presenting a plan without any diplomatic prospects.

Kushner and Greenblatt have been on a tour of the Middle East in recent days, visiting Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt.

The duo is reportedly seeking regional approval for their proposed deal.
The U.S. is seeking to raise hundreds of millions of dollars from Gulf nations to improve conditions in Gaza. The Palestinian Authority expressed opposition to this plan, saying it was aimed at separating Gaza and the West Bank.