Washington – President Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, Jared Kushner, kicked off a swing through the Middle East on Tuesday, meeting with Jordan’s king as part of a broader effort to lay the groundwork for an expected Israeli-Palestinian peace plan.
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Kushner and White House envoy Jason Greenblatt held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, a key U.S. ally.
A White House statement said the talks focused on U.S.-Jordan cooperation, the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the U.S. efforts “to “facilitate peace between the Israelis and Palestinians.”
U.S. officials have said their peace plan is near completion and could be released this summer. But it faces resistance from the Palestinians, who have cut off ties since Trump recognized contested Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last December and moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to the holy city last month. The Palestinians, who seek Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as their capital, accuse the U.S. of siding with Israel in the most sensitive issue of their decades-long conflict.
Kushner’s team also plans stops in Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. No talks with the Palestinians are scheduled, though the Americans have left the door open to meeting with them.
The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip for an independent state. Israel captured the territories in the 1967 Mideast war. It withdrew from Gaza in 2005, and Hamas militants seized control of the territory two years later.
The U.S. has been trying to rally support for projects to rescue Gaza’s economy, which has been weakened by an Israeli-Egyptian blockade, while continuing to isolate Hamas. The U.S., Israel and Western allies shun Hamas as a terrorist group.
Details of the plan have not been released, but Palestinians fear they will get little more than a symbolic foothold in Jerusalem. They also fear that aid to Gaza will help strengthen Hamas’ control over the territory.
Jordan also has a stake in east Jerusalem, serving as the custodian of major Muslim and Christian shrines there. Jerusalem’s walled Old City, captured and annexed by Israel in 1967, is home to Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites.
Abdullah has also rejected Trump’s moves in Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refuses to relinquish any part of the city.
Netanyahu traveled to Amman on Monday for a surprise meeting with Abdullah, telling the king that Israel remains committed to the status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem.
Abdullah told Netanyahu that the fate of Jerusalem must be determined in Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, and that a solution should be based on establishing a Palestinian state, with east Jerusalem as its capital, on lands Israel captured in 1967.
Palestinian officials fear the Trump administration plan will leave them with a mini-state in the Gaza Strip, parts of the West Bank and a foothold in Jerusalem. Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has said he will reject any plan being floated by the Trump team, arguing that the U.S. has forfeited its role as mediator because of decisions seen as pro-Israel.
As long israel doesnt want peace & dosnt wabt to give back what they stole from the Arabs in 1967 war i don’t think it will move fwd any peace plan.
Go back to your home planet.
Until AlterG goes off to camp for the summer. Mom says to remind you to pack a toothbrush
Mr. Trump respectably desires to bring peace to the entire Middle East and if anyone could do it, it’s obviously him. But unfortunately this is one case where peace can never be achieved, as we arare dealing with a terrorist entity which does not seek peace, does not hide the fact that they deny their enemy the right to exist, and wish to throw them into the sea and take the entire land. Golda Meir a’h was right when she said peace can only come when arabs will love their children (instead of celebrating their deaths whike committing terror with handing out candies) more than they hate israel’s Children.
Amman is a capital of Palestinian state.
The King should recognize Palestinians claim to Jordan. Also, queen is a Palestinian so first step is already has been made.
Palestinians need a King. They are tired of being ruled by corrupt terrorists.
Abdulla will be a good ruler of a new Palestinian state
As long israel doesnt want peace & dosnt wabt to give back what they stole from the Arabs in 1967 war i don’t think it will move fwd any peace plan.
AlterG is really AlterK, the poster alter k of self-hating, historically illiterate alt-frumoid. His side lost in 1945 and in 1967.
BTW sending ben goniff Kushie to negotiate is a sick joke. A yutz move.