Numerous statements were issued by Palestinian negotiators predicting the failure of the negotiations. There were also news reports that President Mahmoud Abbas might withdraw at any time from these negotiations, which had yet to achieve any breakthrough. Moreover, the media reported Thursday, Oct. 17, that the ongoing negotiations with the Palestinians had reached a deadlock because the two sides fundamentally disagreed over borders. At the security level, information was scarce given the nature of the security negotiation path. In this article we will discuss the third path, the economic one.
From Kerry to Blair
Following the end of World Economic Forum — during which the plan was announced — former British Prime Minister Tony Blair was appointed the Quartet's representative and a team of international consultants was entrusted with the task of preparing the plan, subsequently dubbed the “Economic Initiative for Palestine.” The Office of the Quartet Representative took over the task of preparing documents, files, and studies for this plan, while the entire Palestinian community awaited the white smoke from the office of the Quartet in the occupied city of Jerusalem.
Since Kerry’s announcement of his plan and the entrustment of the Quartet Office to draft the detailed plans, a major contradiction has emerged between the statements on the progress of preparations. While Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki announced Sept. 8, 2013, that Kerry submitted his plan to promote investment and economic growth of the Palestinian economy to the Ministerial Delegation of the Arab Peace Initiative in Paris. The deputy prime minister and economic adviser to the PA president for economic affairs, Mohammed Mustafa, asserted that the United States handed over the written Palestinian economic plan to the Palestinian leadership. Moreover, Mustafa added that Kerry’s three-year detailed plan — spanning more than 200 pages — would target eight key sectors for growth in all Palestinian regions, including the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.
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