Jared Kushner on Tuesday called for the Palestinians to accept the "Opportunity of the Century" that he says will pump USD 50 billion into a stagnant economy but told them they must first agree if they want a peace deal.
Opening the long-awaited Middle East peace initiative of his father-in-law, President Donald Trump, at a conference in Bahrain, Kushner insisted that the administration has not "given up" on the Palestinians, whose leadership is boycotting the US-led "economic workshop".
"Agreeing on an economic pathway forward is a necessary pre-condition to resolving the previously unsolvable political issues," Kushner said as he opened the two-day event before a gala dinner.
In a data-driven presentation in the style of a corporate executive, the 38-year-old adviser to Trump and family friend of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged the need for a political solution.
"To be clear, economic growth and prosperity for the Palestinian people are not possible without an enduring and fair political solution to the conflict -- one that guarantees Israel's security and respects the dignity of the Palestinian people," he said.
But Kushner said that the political plan would come later -- and that the Palestinians should first embrace the economic component, which promises billions of dollars in investment in infrastructure, tourism and education.
"My direct message to the Palestinian people, is that despite what those who have let you down in the past say, President Trump and America have not given up on you," he said.
While dismissing the mocking description of his peace plan as the "Deal of the Century", he quickly offered another label.
"This effort is better referred to as the Opportunity of the Century, if the leadership has the courage to pursue it."