Jason Greenblatt, White House Middle East Envoy, is reportedly leaving his role after two years crafting a plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Shutterstock
Jason Greenblatt, White House Middle East Envoy, is reportedly leaving his role after two years crafting a plan to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Shutterstock

US Middle East envoy: we won’t release Palestinian peace plan before Israel elections



The US does not plan to release the political part of the long-delayed Palestinian-Israeli peace plan before the Israeli elections, White House Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt said on Wednesday.

“We have decided that we will not be releasing the peace vision or parts of it prior to the Israeli election,” Mr Greenblatt tweeted.

On Monday, US President Donald Trump said the plan might be revealed before the Israeli snap elections, which are due to take place on September 17.

The leadership of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a close ally of Mr Trump, is at stake in the September elections.

Mr Trump’s Middle East team, including senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, had wanted to reveal the plan in the summer, but Mr Netanyahu’s failure to put together a governing coalition after April elections prompted a delay.

In June, the White House announced the economic portion of the peace plan and sought support for it at a conference of global finance ministers in Bahrain.

But representatives from the two countries that will be affected by the policy outcomes were not present.

Palestinian business leaders and officials boycotted the workshop, which was designed to encourage investment in the territories. The Israelis weren't invited to the conference.

Property developers, billionaire entrepreneurs, and teenage influencers from the Arab world attended.

The US proposed a $50 billion (Dh183.65bn) Middle East economic plan that would create a global investment fund to lift the Palestinian and neighbouring Arab state economies.

It also proposed a $5bn transport corridor to connect the West Bank and Gaza.

But Gulf leaders have been sceptical of the plan, wanting to see details before signing on.

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A new relationship with the old country

Treaty of Friendship between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates

The United kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates; Considering that the United Arab Emirates has assumed full responsibility as a sovereign and independent State; Determined that the long-standing and traditional relations of close friendship and cooperation between their peoples shall continue; Desiring to give expression to this intention in the form of a Treaty Friendship; Have agreed as follows:

ARTICLE 1 The relations between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United Arab Emirates shall be governed by a spirit of close friendship. In recognition of this, the Contracting Parties, conscious of their common interest in the peace and stability of the region, shall: (a) consult together on matters of mutual concern in time of need; (b) settle all their disputes by peaceful means in conformity with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations.

ARTICLE 2 The Contracting Parties shall encourage education, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two States in accordance with arrangements to be agreed. Such arrangements shall cover among other things: (a) the promotion of mutual understanding of their respective cultures, civilisations and languages, the promotion of contacts among professional bodies, universities and cultural institutions; (c) the encouragement of technical, scientific and cultural exchanges.

ARTICLE 3 The Contracting Parties shall maintain the close relationship already existing between them in the field of trade and commerce. Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall meet from time to time to consider means by which such relations can be further developed and strengthened, including the possibility of concluding treaties or agreements on matters of mutual concern.

ARTICLE 4 This Treaty shall enter into force on today’s date and shall remain in force for a period of ten years. Unless twelve months before the expiry of the said period of ten years either Contracting Party shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the Treaty, this Treaty shall remain in force thereafter until the expiry of twelve months from the date on which notice of such intention is given.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned have signed this Treaty.

DONE in duplicate at Dubai the second day of December 1971AD, corresponding to the fifteenth day of Shawwal 1391H, in the English and Arabic languages, both texts being equally authoritative.

Signed

Geoffrey Arthur  Sheikh Zayed