Lebanon ‘doesn’t need to be economic basket case,’ says US energy security tsar

Lebanon ‘doesn’t need to be economic basket case,’ says US energy security tsar

NEW YORK: The Middle East is at a “critical crossroads,” but a new narrative based on peace and prosperity can be created through economic investment, Jordan’s King Abdullah II said on Wednesday.

The country is battling the twin threats of surging numbers of refugees and a booming drug- and weapon-smuggling trade along the Syrian border, he warned.

The king was the keynote speaker at the inaugural Middle East Global Summit in New York, organized by Al-Monitor and Semafor, and attended by Arab News.

“Our region will continue to suffer until the world helps lift the shadow of the Palestine-Israel conflict — the central issue of the Middle East,” he said, adding that the post-COVID-19 world has brought with it a regional desire to “put the past behind us” and find a solution to the conflict.

“Every year, Ramadan, Passover and Easter create bloodshed. This is the toughest year for Palestinians with the death rate in the past 15 years.”

The king highlighted the need to address changing generational trends in Palestine, saying: “We — Jordanians, Arabs, Israelis, Americans — don’t know who the younger generation of Palestinians are.”

He added that the Middle East has an opportunity to break down barriers to peace through regional projects.

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