The three Arab countries, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar will each send a delegation to the US planned economic summit in Bahrain that’s dedicated to boosting the Palestinian economy, despite the Palestinian leadership’s boycott of it.
– Jordanian King Abdullah: Jordan needs to avoid ‘being left out.’

By Mohammad Al-Kassim, The Media Line and News Agencies

Egypt, Jordan and Morocco have informed the Trump administration they plan to attend a U.S.-led conference in Bahrain in late June on proposals for boosting the Palestinian economy as part of a coming U.S. peace plan, a White House official said on Tuesday.

King Mohammed VI of Morocco, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi – Photo: AP

Egypt and Jordan’s participation is considered especially important since they have historically been key players in Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. However, Palestinian leaders have vowed to boycott the June 25-26 conference and lashed out at members of the international community who have agreed to attend the conference.

Some Arab Quartet states stopped their donations in mid-2016 in order to pressure PA President Mahmoud Abbas to initiate political reforms that will lead to peace with Israel. – IsraelandStuff/PP

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have publicly declared that they will attend, along with the Bahraini hosts. The U.S. has also sent invitations to finance ministers from other Arab and non-Arab countries. The so-called workshop is scheduled to be held in the city of Manama.

Global financial bodies including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank also plan to be present.

U.S. officials have been vague about the timing for the second phase of their initiative, which would be the release of proposals for resolving the thorny political issues at the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

With Israel heading for new elections in September after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to meet a deadline to form a government, uncertainty is expected to further delay the full release of the plan.

Most experts are skeptical the Trump administration can succeed where decades of U.S.-backed efforts have failed.

Saeb Erekat, executive secretary of the Palestine Liberation Organization, told a number of Arab news outlets he expected the summit to fail.

In an interview with Almayadeen, a Lebanese news channel, Erekat said: “If I’m not going, do you know what’s best for me better than I do?” He called on all Arab and non-Arab countries that intend to participate to “reconsider” their decision.

PLO Secretary-General, infamous fabulist, renowned Palestinian spin-master, Chief PA ‘peace negotiator’, and grandmaster propagandist, Saeb “Pinnochio” Erekat – – YouTube Screen Shot

Political analyst Ziad Abu Zayyad said the “PA is on its own,” adding: “These countries have their own interests to worry about with the United States, and they revolve in the U.S. orbit, so it doesn’t come as a surprise that these countries have agreed to attend and host the conference.”

Abu Zayyad said that other geopolitical issues in the region played a major role in how Arab governments, particularly the Gulf states, viewed the Palestinian cause these days.

“America and Israel succeeded in convincing these countries that the danger to them is coming from Iran, and because of that they will do anything they are asked by the U.S. and Israel,” he said.

The Palestinian Authority did not have the means to pressure the Arab states, he added.

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