US peace tactics will fail to gain Palestinian buy-in

Subject

The Bahrain conference on Palestinian economic development.

Significance

On June 25-26, the United States sponsored a workshop in Bahrain to present a vision of economic development for the Palestinians in the event of a peace deal with Israel. The stated aim was to garner interest from regional states and international investors and financial institutions, which the White House hopes will bankroll a prospective development programme. The workshop comes within the broader context of US moves -- led by Jared Kushner, senior adviser to President Donald Trump -- to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the political dimension of which has yet to be revealed. The Bahrain gathering ended with no concrete outcomes or policy announcements.

Impacts

• The rollout of the political agenda may be delayed until the end of the year.
• The international community will not support any deal that does not adhere to the two-state solution framework.
• The workshop's being held in Bahrain could facilitate engagement between Israel and the Gulf states.