WASHINGTON – Jason Greenblatt, the US Special Representative for International Negotiations, expressed his frustration Monday from the Palestinian reaction to the economic workshop in Bahrain next month, in which the administration is set to reveal the financial part of its peace plan.
“It’s difficult to understand why the Palestinian Authority would reject a workshop designed to discuss a vision with the potential to radically transform lives and put people on a path toward a brighter future,” he told The Jerusalem Post in a written answer to a question regarding the Palestinian reaction to the administration’s announcement.
PA Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said on Monday that the Palestinians and their leaders were not seeking an improvement of living conditions “under the occupation.”
Earlier today, a senior PA official told the Post: “I believe we will boycott the Bahrain workshop. We haven’t received an invitation yet to attend the workshop, but [PA] President [Mahmoud] Abbas will take the final decision after consulting with the Palestinian leadership.”
“Palestinians deserve dignity, opportunity and a better way of life,” Greenblatt added. “Also, by encouraging Palestinians to reject the workshop, the PA is shamefully trying to block their path toward a better future. History will judge the Palestinian Authority harshly for passing up any opportunity that could give the Palestinians something so very different, and something so very positive, compared to what they have today.”
He said that the administration’s economic plan is an “ambitious but achievable” vision, which presents an alternative path with the potential to unlock a prosperous future for the Palestinian people if they choose to follow it.
“It’s an exciting road map, which includes a detailed portfolio of real projects and capacity building programs, that has the potential to unleash sustainable, private sector-driven growth – but we understand that only through peace and a solution to the final status issues can this level of growth be possible,” said Greenblatt.HEAR FROM JASON GREENBLATT DIRECTLY AT THE JERUSALEM POST ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN NEW YORK. CLICK TO LEARN MORE.