Thursday, September 5, 2019

Trump peace plan architect Jason Greenblatt to quit administration

US Middle East peace envoy Jason Greenblatt, who has spent the last years attempting to cobble together a long-awaited Israeli-Palestinian peace plan, will step down after the release of the administration’s program, the White House announced Thursday. The plan is expected to be released soon after Israeli elections on September 17.
“Jason Greenblatt has decided to return to New Jersey to be with his wife and six children, who throughout the administration have resided in New Jersey,” a senior administration official told reporters on a conference call, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Greenblatt continues to “hold the confidence” of US President Donald Trump and his senior peace team, the official added.
Greenblatt, a former lawyer with the Trump Organization, has been working for the last two and a half years on the administration’s peace plan together with the president’s son-in-law and senior assistant Jared Kushner. He will be replaced by Avi Berkowitz, a senior aide to Kushner who has been present in many of the meetings and discussions related to the peace proposal.
Referring to the plan, the senior official said that “the vision is now complete and will be released when appropriate,”
This vision has the potential to vastly improve the lives of millions of Israelis, Palestinians and others in the region
It is unclear when exactly Greenblatt will leave the administration, as he plans to be available during and immediately after the plan’s rollout. (Read More)