Opportunity of the century

Speaking at the start of a two-day workshop here yesterday, US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, set out a plan that he said would offer the Palestinians a “more prosperous future”. He described the proposals, which envisions $50 billion being invested in the region over 10 years, as “the opportunity of the century”.

“We wouldn’t shy away from problems as there is a spring in the end. It is good to see investment coming from all over the world. “Let us focus on peace, security, and prosperity. Palestinians need freedom for worship and a better life. We have reached this point after numerous studies. This is a concrete plan for building tourism so that West Bank can become a booming economy,” Mr. Kushner said.

Highlighting that the aim of the Trump administration is to keep people safe across the globe, he said: “Mr. Trump’s vision is to keep people safe in the US and throughout the world. We had the best economy ever during this period. Dignity, prosperity and security and peace is the pathway to the people.”

Mr. Kushner said that the new plan could help double Palestine’s GDP and create a million new jobs, cutting down poverty. “If implemented correctly and competently, the economic plan will lead to growth and better lives. To create this vision we have drawn from the lessons of the most successful economic transformations of the last 75 years.

“We studied along with the world’s leading experts and thinkers and economists from Singapore South Korea, Japan, Peru, Poland, China, and America. We took the elements that we thought could apply and we tried to avoid the areas where we’ve seen mistakes and other attempts that people took over the years to try to implement these reforms.

“What we have developed is the most comprehensive economic plan that has ever been created specifically for the Palestinians and for the broader Middle East. We can turn this region from a victim of past conflicts into a model for commerce advancement throughout the world.