21 May 2019; MEMO: Palestinian businessmen, economic and trade institutions and unions have received invitations to participate in the economic workshop organised by the United States in Bahrain next month, Anadolu Agency reported.
The White House announced in a joint statement with Bahrain that Manama will host an economic workshop entitled “Peace to Prosperity on 25 and 26 June.
The workshop aims to “encourage investing capital in the West Bank, Gaza, and the region”, and is the first phase of the US sponsored “deal of the century” plan.
Palestinian businessman Ibrahim Barham said he has received an invitation to participate in the workshop, adding that he will not participate without a national decision.
Bashar Al-Masri, a prominent Palestinian businessman and chairman of Palestine Development and Investment Ltd (PADICO) announced that he has also received an invitation to participate in the workshop.
“I have been invited to talk at the so-called Peace to Prosperity conference in Manama, but I will not participate in the conference, and no representative of our companies will participate in it or any of its results,” Al-Masri wrote on Facebook.
“We reaffirm our clear position: we will not deal with any event outside the Palestinian national consensus. The idea of economic peace is old but is being put forward differently now.”
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said during the weekly cabinet session yesterday that the Palestinian Authority rejects the workshop, adding that “resolving the conflict in Palestine will only be achieved through a political solution”.
