Washington announced in late May that it will hold a regional economic conference in Manama, Bahrain, at the end of June. The Trump team invited most Gulf states and other Arab countries, as well as Israel and the Palestinians.

If it was just a beginner’s mistake, without the possibility of causing any harm — if it was simply gratuitous — I would have nothing to say about the “workshop” for finance ministers, scheduled to take place in Bahrain. There have been plenty of gratuitous conferences in our lifetime, and it looks like the one the Trump team is planning for Bahrain could be added to the list. The problem is that this conference could actually be disruptive, especially after all the serious mistakes made by the Trump administration in its efforts to finally resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

US President Donald Trump’s experience is limited to the business world. Perhaps that's why he believes that if he suffocates the Palestinians economically and then tosses them some sweets, they will come running to accept whatever he offers — in coordination with Israel of course. He and his pair of peacemakers — White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt — are making a regrettable mistake. The lion’s share of the Palestinian narrative is a story of rage over ongoing humiliation at the hands of Israel and the Arab states. This effort to separate the diplomatic solution from an economic solution will be perceived by the Palestinians as akin to being told, “We’re giving you money, so give up your principles.” This would not help in advancing any comprehensive solution to the conflict. If anything, it would convince the Palestinians to adopt a harder line. It would intensify their anger and cause the pragmatic forces — who want to reach an arrangement — to find common ground with the extremists, who oppose any arrangement whatsoever.

Immediately after the signing of the Oslo Accord in the 1990s, efforts were made to expedite the diplomatic breakthrough with a series of economic conferences involving multiple participants, including Arab states with no diplomatic relations with Israel. The first such conference took place in Casablanca, Morocco, in October 1994, with senior leaders from Israel and the Arab world participating. Israel sent a large delegation, including many business leaders, but this scared the Palestinians and many of the other participants, too. I refused to attend, thinking that the event would be perceived as an Israeli invasion of the heart of the Arab world’s economy. The conference did, in fact, come under considerable criticism in the media, but not only that — it was a multidimensional media event. The world was thrilled by the sight of Arab representatives in their flowing robes and headdresses, meeting with the Israeli representatives decked out in business suits and chatting with them as if they were old friends. The euphoria surrounding the diplomatic breakthrough may have contributed to the conference’s mood, but in the end, the result was disappointing. No major business deals emerged from the event, but it did evoke a sense of panic among those who were concerned about our imperialistic tendencies.