US’ Kushner briefs senators behind closed doors on Trump Middle East plan

Jared Kushner briefed senators behind closed doors yesterday on the Trump administration’s plan for Israel and the Palestinians, Axios reported, citing White House officials.

According to the report, “Kushner told a bipartisan group from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that the international reaction [to the plan]” was “encouraging”.

“His briefing was part of an effort to build support for the plan in Washington and overseas,” Axios added.

Officials familiar with the contents of the briefing said that Kushner argued that “every time negotiations failed, the Palestinians got more money and Israel was able to keep expanding the settlements, but the peace process became a false notion and didn’t solve anything.”

“Both parties’ leaderships just kept getting what they want without improving the lives of the people,” said one senior White House official.

READ: Palestinians can ‘weigh in’ on Middle East plan says Kushner

Kushner also “told senators that the White House wanted to use the plan not only to try to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict but also to bring Israel and the Arab and Muslim worlds closer together.”

Despite Palestinian rejection of the plan, Kushner claimed there were signs it could still advance.

Factors include the fact “the two main political leaders in Israel support the plan and it didn’t become a controversial issue in the Israeli elections,” Axios reported, as well as the fact “the Palestinians push against the plan stalled at the UN.”