The White House hosted a conference to discuss the economic situation in the Gaza Strip, which is believed to be “on the brink of economic disaster.” During the conference, attended by 19 international donor nations, an unusual sight of Arab states sitting alongside an Israeli delegation listened to a two-hour presentation by President Trump’s senior advisor and son-in-law Jared Kushner on ‘viable short-term projects that could improve the economic situation across the Palestinian enclave.’ A high-ranking administration official said that he was pleased that representatives of Arab states, among them Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain – all of which do not have diplomatic relations with the Jewish state – were willing, nonetheless, to sit around one table with Israeli representatives. The official further said that many of the participants were sorry that the Palestinian Authority had declined the invitation to partake in the conference.
While Israel welcomed the conference hosted at the White House, which Prime Minister Netanyahu’s Bureau said in a statement that it hoped the participation of so many countries would increase stability in the region and promote peace with the Palestinians; Chief Administration negotiator Jason Greenblatt asserted during the conference that “In order for peace to be within our grasp, we must first improve the conditions on the ground to create hope and opportunity.”
Another meeting of donor countries is scheduled next week in Brussels, during which plans to help Gaza in electricity, water and health would be discussed.