BICOM

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace envoys, Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner and Special Representative for International Negotiations Jason Greenblatt, met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu twice over the weekend.

Kushner and Greenblatt arrived in Israel after talks with leaders in Cairo, Riyadh, Doha and Amman last week, as they attempted to enlist support for humanitarian projects in the Gaza Strip and put pressure on Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to stop boycotting the US initiative and return to negotiations. A statement released by the White House said: “They discussed the means by which the humanitarian situation in Gaza can be alleviated, while maintaining Israel’s security. They further discussed the continued commitment of the Trump Administration and Israel to advance peace between the Israelis and the Palestinians.”

Speaking at his weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, Netanyahu said: “I had two important meetings with Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt. We discussed the diplomatic process and regional issues, and there was a special focus on the situation in Gaza.”

Netanyahu told his ministers that: “There was absolute support for our positions and our actions to ensure the security of the State of Israel and its citizens in the area adjacent to the Gaza Strip, which was expressed publicly by the American administration’s envoys. The issue also came up of how it might be possible to resolve the humanitarian problem in Gaza without strengthening Hamas. These matters are clear, first of all how to ensure security and how to prevent a broader flare-up, if it is at all possible,” he added.

In response, PA President Mahmoud Abbas said: “The American delegation should abandon the illusion that creating false facts and falsifying history are going to help it sell those illusions. What is required after the end of the US delegation’s tours to the region is for the American administration to understand the need to stop pursuing imaginary political alternatives and projects aimed at splitting the Palestinian homeland to prevent the establishment of our Palestinian state.”

Kushner gave a lengthy interview to Palestinian newspaper Al Quds in which he declared that the “prospects for peace are very much alive.” Asked why the Palestinian leadership said his work was a waste of time he said “they are scared we will release our plan and the Palestinian people will actually like it because it will lead to new opportunities for them to have a much better life.” But he cautioned that both sides “will have to take a leap and meet somewhere between their stated positions. I am not sure President Abbas has the ability to do that.” In a final message to the Palestinian people Kushner urged them: “Don’t let your leadership reject a plan they haven’t seen. Don’t allow your grandfather’s conflict to determine your children’s future.”