US Embassy deletes announcement of Israeli-Palestinian business meeting

The Palestinian Affairs Unit announced the meeting in a Twitter post in Arabic, which for some reason has since been deleted.

By Baruch Yedid, TPS

The Palestinian Affairs Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Israel hosted a meeting Tuesday between Israeli and Palestinian businessmen.

It was chaired by Hady Amr, a U.S. State Department official who is visiting the area and was scheduled to meet with Hussein Al-Sheikh, the Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister of Civil Affairs.

The Unit announced the meeting in a Twitter post in Arabic, which for sme reason has since been deleted. But TPS was able to preserve an image of the March 15th tweet:

“A fruitful discussion took place between the Assistant Foreign Minister for Middle East Affairs and Israeli and Palestinian businessmen for the purpose of promoting economic development,” read the announcement. “Real improvements are the key to freedom, security and prosperity for all.”

Sources in Ramallah told TPS that they welcomed the meeting, but they also criticized the “effort to promote economic peace and evade political negotiations.” A number of Palestinian businessmen who took part in the meeting were apparently surprised to hear about its publication by the Embassy.

One of the participants in the meeting told TPS, “It was clear that Mr. Hady Amr was very frustrated by the situation and was trying his best to advance some issues, but I do not see any horizon. We and the Israelis agree on specific steps required and asked for help from the U.S.”