Monday, February 18, 2019

Israel, Gulf States Commend Kushner’s Peace Effort

WARSAW—President Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, said that a show of unity among Israeli and Arab officials at a U.S.-backed conference here made him feel “optimistic” about prospects for peace in the Middle East, according to officials who witnessed the presentation behind closed doors on Thursday.
But Mr. Kushner provided no details of the Trump administration’s peace plan, which he has been developing for more than two years, the officials said. Mr. Kushner said in public comments later Thursday that he planned to present the document following Israeli elections in April.
During Thursday’s session, U.S. officials including Vice President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of causing instability and conflict across the Middle East, bringing together a group of countries including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf nations that share that view.
Mr. Kushner, in his closed-door presentation, focused his appeal for support of his peace efforts on the same group—Israel and the Gulf Arab countries—with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu present in the meeting room.
Mr. Netanyahu congratulated Mr. Kushner in response to the presentation during the session, and for being “crazy enough” to “come up with ideas.”
The “normalization” of relations with the Arab world would help, Mr. Netanyahu continued, adding, “I am happy to say there is progress on that.”
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, echoed his assent and offered assistance for Mr. Kushner’s plan. “We strongly believe it’s time to find a solution to this long-running conflict,” Mr. Jubeir told the session, officials said.
Mr. Netanyahu’s meeting with senior Arab officials a day earlier was the first such appearance by an Israeli premier in more than two decades. READ MORE