WASHINGTON: The US has reaffirmed its commitment to Middle East peace at a meeting in Washington between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, and Jared Kushner, adviser and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
“Both countries discussed their shared interest to find a sustainable resolution to the conflict and how best to achieve it,” a tweet from the Saudi Embassy said on Wednesday.
The US push for Israeli-Palestinian peace has been led by Kushner, who held a White House conference on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza last week. But the outlook has been complicated by Palestinian anger over Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move the US Embassy there from Tel Aviv.
The US expects the opening of its Jerusalem Embassy to coincide with the 70th anniversary of the birth of the state of Israel on May 14, when Palestinians observe what they call the Nakba, or catastrophe.
Kushner, 37, who is married to Trump’s daughter Ivanka, has a wide-ranging portfolio that includes Middle East negotiations and relations with China. He lost his top White House security clearance in February amid allegations of conflicts of interest given his extensive property interests.
Greenblatt earlier this week accused Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, of making “highly inappropriate insults against members of the Trump administration.” Abbas had made a scathing attack on Trump’s Middle East policies, calling David Friedman, US ambassador to Israel, “a son of a dog.”
The envoy also said in a statement that “we are committed to the Palestinian people and to the changes that must be implemented for peaceful coexistence.”
Saudi crown prince gets US pledge on Middle East peace
Saudi crown prince gets US pledge on Middle East peace
