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Notes from the Economic Workshop in Bahrain
(Ha'aretz) Noa Landau - At the economic workshop in Bahrain, the Palestinian leadership received a very clear message from every direction that they are like a bone stuck in the throats of very influential parties in the region and are preventing progress on cooperative security, technological and economic projects. In conversations with representatives from Arab countries at the conference, Ha'aretz heard criticism of the Palestinian Authority's actions, Hamas' leadership and the funding they receive from Iran and Qatar. On the other hand, every single Arab at the event made it clear that the Palestinian issue still stands between them and full peace with Israel. The general message was that we are making progress in slow steps with Israel, but this progress also has limits. At the same time as U.S. and Arab finance ministers were holding a concluding panel at the economic workshop, Israeli Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon met in his office in Jerusalem with Palestinian Finance Minister Shukri Bashara and Civil Affairs Minister Hassan al-Sheikh to address "ongoing civil and economic issues." These meetings have been going on regularly and routinely - even during times when the disconnect between the Palestinians and Israelis is supposedly worsening.