Rejecting taboos, Palestinian businessman welcomes US plan

JERUSALEM – A Palestinian businessman who flouts political taboos by working with Israeli settlers in the West Bank could soon have a role in President Donald Trump’s peace plan.

While Palestinian officials have rejected next month’s planned Mideast conference in Bahrain, Ashraf Jabari says he will be thrilled to attend.

Jabari has forged close ties with U.S. diplomats but is viewed with deep suspicion by fellow Palestinians. That has raised questions about U.S. attempts to cultivate him and other businessmen as alternatives to the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority.

The U.S. hasn’t yet released a list of attendees at the June 25-26 conference, which seeks to use economic development to lure the Palestinians to the negotiating table. U.S. officials have said it would convene individual business leaders, including some outside the Palestinian territories.