Kushner says economic plan pre-condition to peace

MANAMA: White House adviser Jared Kushner said Tuesday that his plan for the Middle East was "the opportunity of the century" for the Palestinians but that their acceptance was a pre-condition to peace.

"Agreeing on an economic pathway forward is a necessary pre-condition to resolving the previously unsolvable political issues," Kushner said as he opened a workshop in Bahrain being boycotted by the Palestinian Authority.

While the two-day meeting will not address political solutions in the Middle East, Kushner acknowledged the need to take them up later.

"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."