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Kerry Plan Ignores Palestinian Economic Independence

The economic plan brought forward by US Secretary of State John Kerry still keeps the Palestinian economy dependent on Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry (C) is joined by Israeli President Shimon Peres (L) and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the King Hussein Convention Centre, at the Dead Sea May 26, 2013.  REUTERS/Jim Young  (JORDAN - Tags: POLITICS BUSINESS) - RTX101SB
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During and after communicating with journalists in international and Arab media, I noticed a number of my colleagues gearing up for intensive coverage of the economic plan that was announced at the Dead Sea on Sunday, May 26. Some called it the Kerry Plan, in reference to US Secretary of State John Kerry. Others preferred to call it “Kerry’s dish.” Some pulled back, providing abbreviated coverage, while others ignored the matter entirely.

This may be attributed to the fact that, after analyzing the events, they discovered how limited their significance truly was. Indeed, it resembled nothing so much as the famous story about the third caliph, Umar bin al-Khattab, who chanced upon a woman placing a stone into water in an attempt to deceive her hungry children into believing she was preparing their supper. That way, they would endure through their hunger until, eventually, sleep overcame them.

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