BICOM

The Trump administration’s top Middle East envoy, Jared Kushner, told Sky News Arabic yesterday that the long-awaited US plan to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks will address the core issues of the conflict.

Kushner is currently touring the Middle East to generate regional support for the US plan. Speaking in Abu Dhabi yesterday, Kushner said his team are trying to: “Formulate realistic solutions for the issues of 2019, which will improve quality of life”. He said the plan will have: “A broad economic impact, not only on Israel and the Palestinians, but on the entire region as well,” adding that that the US wants to create new opportunities and ensure freedom of movement for people and goods.

Speaking about the split between the West Bank and Gaza, Kushner said: “We want to see the Palestinians united under one leadership, the Palestinians want a non-corrupt government that cares for their own interests.”

Kushner is scheduled to hold meetings in Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia in the coming days. He is joined by US Special Representative for International Negotiations, Jason Greenblatt, and the US envoy on Iran, Brian Hook.

The leader of Israel’s New Right party, Naftali Bennett, said in response to Kushner’s remarks: “There is a clear and present danger before our very eyes: the establishment of a Palestinian state. The day after the election, the Americans will push for a Netanyahu-Lapid-Gantz government that will facilitate founding a Palestinian state on Route 6 and partitioning Jerusalem, and Netanyahu will be compelled to toe the line.”

The Likud said in response: “While New Right representatives were holding talks with Lapid and Gantz in order to join them after the election, Prime Minister Netanyahu was making it unambiguously clear that he will form a right-wing government. Prime Minister Netanyahu protected the Land of Israel and the State of Israel from the hostile Obama administration and he will continue to do so with the supportive Trump administration.”

Labour Party leader Avi Gabbay has welcomed the US initiative to try to restart Israeli-Palestinian talks. He said that: “Separating from the Palestinians on the basis of the two-state solution is in Israel’s interest. This is our path in the Labour Party.”