Thread by @braunold

1. Finally read through the big Economic part of the ‘Peace Plan’ now Shabbat is out and it is so galling on so many levels. Here is epic thread split into four sections of critic: First PRESENTATION.

2. As some have already remarked the glossy brochure is full of curious pictures. They all come from USAID videos you can find here that were made around two years ago to promote the very programs this Admin has cut off usaid.gov/west-bank-and-…

3. The two most ridiculous examples are that of @ThePCFF and the Near East Foundation. The Parents Circle, whose grant was not only cut off but who Bassam (who is pictured throughout the presentation) has had his US visa refused.

4.The lovely old Olive Farmer is Khaled Junaidi from the Olive Oil Without Borders Program the @NearEastFdn ran until USAID terminated it as part of the cuts. Here a $1 million grant was turned into $23 million in cooperative olive oil sales. blog.usaid.gov/2015/03/olive-…

5. Again the very purpose of business linking to peace was killed by this admin and they use the images of this program to promote this absurd document is so insulting to the groups and individuals this Administration has harmed.

6. Second CONTEXT: The Admin has been telling everyone that they are going for a fresh approach on others failures. What this plan is, is what the Kerry Economic Initiative was on steroids. Kerry failed at a $4 billion investment pitch despite everyone turning up.

7. This Admin can’t even get the business leadership to turn up and to assume when Kerry failed at $4 billion because of the politics that somehow we are going to go up to $50 billion is madness.

8. This does not represent a new approach but a gathering together of all the ideas generated over the past decade or so that have not moved forward because of political reasons.

9. Third SUBSTANCE: @SamBahour put it best when he said that this was a desk review of a management consultant. medium.com/@sbahour/an-op…

10. This is literally piecing together a bunch of old ideas from World Bank/Quartet/McKinsey reports with some new things thrown in the mix.

11. However in all the old reports it was clear that until Area C was allowed to be opened up and borders crossings etc this was not going to work. Clearly the Admin forgot that or is waiting on the never coming political part.

12. There is never unlimited money and development is about choosing. I have gotten hard questions from Congressional offices to justify the small amounts going to p2p before. Trying to get to $50 million on peace and reconciliation is a huge lift.

13. The concept that $500 million should be spent on a new Pal university, a billion in arrears payments, $100 million on consultants is madness and shows that this is a throw the kitchen sink approach.

14. The Equity Investment at $100 million is the same as the ENTIRE New U.S. International Development Finance Corporation for example. $80 million in Artist Grants and overall $3.3 billion in phase one in grant money is mindboggling and unrealistic numbers.

15. Forth IMPLEMENTATION: If we add up how much is still left in unspent money for the West Bank and Gaza from 2019 it is around $215 million. The admin requested $175 million this year for diplomatic progress fund. All is Economic Support Funds (ESF)

16. Together its around $400 million that if this approps cycle passes could be able to be spent. However given both the Taylor Force Act and the Anti-Terrorism Clarification Act there is no way to spend this money legally on what is in this document.

17. Not only is this pie in the sky thinking, there is no legal way for the US to contribute without amending current US law, establishing completely new spending accounts, recognizing the State of Palestine or setting up a totally new International Org for the CIO account.

18. With the exception of the State of Palestine just don’t see the Congressional support (which is needed in all cases except recognition) if not in the context of Two States so again not sure what the Admin is doing except a pointless exercise.

19. In CONCLUSION the Admin has literally taken the imagery of programs that were working to front up an impossible, impractical literature review of economic programs that will be used to bash the Palestinians for missing a mirage rather then a real opportunity.