Kushner: Bahrain a ‘tremendous success’

Kushner said the conference, or economic workshop, was a “tremendous success.”

By World Israel News Staff

Trump administration adviser Jared Kushner declared the Bahrain conference a “tremendous success” in an interview published Thursday in a Saudi daily.

“After extensive review, people were very positive about it and considered it achievable,” he said, as reported in the Times of Israel.

The president’s son-in-law made an additional appeal to the Palestinians, who boycotted the conference, to reconsider his $50 billion economic plan, about half of which would be earmarked for projects within Judea, Samaria and the Gaza Strip.

Due to the absence of Palestinians and Israeli government officials (the latter were not invited in order to keep politics out of the conference, which focused exclusively on how to better the lives of Palestinians), critics said that Bahrain was not a success.

“Besides opposition from the intended beneficiaries of the proposal, the plan has been harshly criticized by former diplomats, aid workers and others involved in past peacemaking efforts for being unrealistic and lacking any clear description of who will pay for it,” the Associated Press reported.

Kushner answered those critics directly, saying on Wednesday, “When people criticize, the question I would ask them is what is your idea, what ideas are you putting forward.”

Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and the Gulf States did send representatives. Observers have pointed out this marks a change from the past when none in the Arab world would buck Palestinian demands.

“It is a small victory that they are all showing up to listen and partake,” Kushner noted prior to the conference. “In the old days, the Palestinian leaders would have spoken and nobody would have disobeyed.”

The political part of what has been dubbed the deal of the century will be released in November, according to reports.