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Kushner and Greenblatt report back on peace process
White House senior advisers have returned to the US to brief President Trump on the peace process, following a trip to Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA).
White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt have returned from meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and PA President Mahmoud Abbas aimed at moving the Israel-Palestinian peace process forward.
On the meetings with Abbas, a White House statement said: “The two sides had a productive meeting and reaffirmed their commitment to advancing President Trump’s goal of a genuine and lasting peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians that enhances stability in the region.”
The statement continues that Kushner and Greenblatt’s discussion with Abbas focused on the need for “economic opportunities and major investments in the Palestinian economy,” with both parties stressing the importance of “doing everything possible to create an environment conducive to peace making”.
However, according to the London-based Al-Hayat newspaper, Kushner’s meeting with PA President Mahmoud Abbas was described as “tense” and there were several areas of disagreement between the parties.
The US continued to express concern over PA incitement, in the media and by glorifying terrorists through naming public institutions after them. Abbas, however, reportedly claimed that the payments are a part of the Palestinian government’s “social responsibility”.
The meetings took place in the context of a recent terror attack in Jerusalem where border policewoman Hadas Malka was killed. Abbas refused to condemn the attack, whilst Kushner paid a condolence visit to the mourning parents.
Despite reported difficulties, suggestions in the media that the US will now withdraw from the process following these meetings have been called “nonsense” by figures in the Trump administration.
The White House statement confirmed that Kushner and Greenblatt now plan to return to Washington to brief President Trump, Secretary Tillerson and General McMaster and to “continue the conversation about next steps”.