Egypt, Jordan, Morocco to Attend U.S. Mideast Peace Conference

Egypt, Morocco and Jordan have agreed to attend the unveiling the economic component of a new U.S. peace plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the White House said on Wednesday.

The three Arab countries allied with Washington "informed us that they will be attending the workshop," a senior White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Spearheaded by President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, the long-awaited plan's economic component is set to be unveiled on June 25 and 26 at a conference in Bahrain.

The idea is to entice the Palestinians with the economic benefits of the plan if they accept the United State's political proposals, which will be detailed at a later date that has yet to be announced.

But the Palestinians have already rejected the plan and the United Nations says it also won't send a representative to the conference. 

The Palestinian Authority, which cut ties with the Trump administration after it recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017, also won't attend.

The support of countries in the region is seen as crucial for the proposal's success, but the U.S. media reported recently that the Palestinians had asked Egypt, Morocco and Jordan not to participate in the summit.

Trump is attempting to forge a lasting peace agreement between the Israelis and Palestinians, a task at which all who have tried before him have failed.

But Palestinians believe his administration's proposal will be partial to Israel.