WASHINGTON — The Trump administration said on Saturday that it hoped to raise more than $50 billion to improve the lot of the Palestinians and their Arab neighbors, releasing an economic plan titled, “Peace to Prosperity,” that reverses the actual sequence of its peacemaking efforts in the Middle East. The blueprint sets the stage for a two-day economic workshop next week to be convened by the White House in the Persian Gulf state of Bahrain. Some experts question whether President Trump will ever put a peace proposal on the table, given the Palestinians’ vow to reject his efforts and his looming re-election campaign in the United States. The 38-page plan sets ambitious goals, like doubling the amount of drinkable water in the Palestinian territories and nearly tripling exports as a percentage of the Palestinian economy. With slick graphics and the promotional tone of a real estate prospectus, the plan envisions a variety of funding sources, like grants and private equity.

Source: New York Times June 22, 2019 20:26 UTC