Arab states, EU unveil plan to entice Israel-PA to sign peace deal

GENEVA: Nearly 30 foreign ministers from countries

in Europe and the Middle East met on the sidelines of

the United Nations General Assembly on Monday to

unveil a new initiative aimed at reviving the long-dormant

Israeli-Palestinian peace process. The “Peace Day Effort”

was driven by the European Union, Saudi Arabia, the

Arab League, Egypt, and Jordan, who agreed at the event

to produce a “Peace Supporting Package” in the coming

months that will maximize dividends for Israelis and

Palestinians, once they reach a peace agreement.

Participants agreed to form three working groups

that will be tasked with producing the components of

the package. One working group will outline potential

post-peace regional, political, and security cooperation mechanisms. A second

working group will develop proposals for economic

cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, innovation, transportation, natural

resources, and the environment. A third working group

will develop proposals for cooperation in humanitarian,

inter-cultural, and human security issues.

Participating countries also agreed to assess the initiative’s progress every three

months before presenting the finalized Peace Supporting

Package by September 2024. The main architect of the

initiative, EU Special Representative for the Middle

East Peace Process Sven Koopmans, told The Times

of Israel in a Sunday interview that the plan’s contributors are “envisaging…

what regionally and globally everybody would contribute

the moment that there is an Israeli-Palestinian agreement.” —Agencies